Google’s Stadia game-streaming platform works on a number of screens, but Google wants to give you a controller to take on all of these displays. Sure, you can use your regular keyboard and mouse or a third-party controller, but Google has also opted to showcase their own Stadia controller. It’s not just a pretty look; Google’s controller connects to Wi-Fi directly rather than your device to reduce latency in input. We didn’t get too many details on exactly how this works, so hopefully we’ll get a more technical breakdown soon. You’ll also see a couple of other interesting things on the controller, namely a capture button that lets gamers share their experiences to YouTube or their friends. That’s not necessarily unique among other game controllers, but a Google Assistant button, which the controller also has, lets users make voice commands for special in-game features and general requests. The controller also seems to have a built-in Easter egg on the bottom…<doc-sep>Google today took the wraps off its Stadia cloud gaming platform, showing off a bold but largely untested vision of the future of gaming that involves distributing and playing software in real-time over the internet. We still don’t know a lot about how Stadia will work, how much it might cost, whether it will operate as a Netflix-style subscription service for consumers or use a different business model, or when exactly it will come out later this year. But we did get our hands on the custom controller Google built, the only physical piece of the Stadia package. Surprisingly, the Stadia controller feels and looks great. Granted, we didn’t get to try it on a live Stadia demo, but we did get to go hands-on with the same white and orange model that was used onstage during the reveal. It has a heft and texture similar to recent Xbox One gamepads — specifically the one that released with the Xbox One S redesign — but with the thumbstick layout of Sony’s DualShock 4. Grid View Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge It features a USB-C port on top, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom, and dedicated buttons to trigger Google Assistant-powered voice features and capture video of your gameplay. In a nice nod to gaming culture, images of the controller on Google’s website show it may have the Konami Code sequence as a barcode label on the bottom of the device, below the headphone jack. You can even type the requisite commands into the Stadia website to bring up a 3D model of the controller that you can inspect in your browser window. The controller we tried at GDC didn’t have the code on it, so it’s unclear whether the commercial version will feature it or if it’s just a fun Easter egg. Classic Google: Konami code listed on the bottom of the #Stadia controller. Very nice touch. pic.twitter.com/RNdWhmyNPi — Eli Blumenthal (@eliblumenthal) March 19, 2019 In one impressive demo shown onstage, Google showed off a feature that would let you use the Assistant button on the controller to pull a YouTube tutorial showing you how to overcome the specific hurdle or puzzle that’s giving you trouble in that exact moment in the game. The controller is also used to launch right into games that you may find on YouTube’s live streaming platform, so you can immediately start playing a title a favorite streamer of yours is playing at that moment. The Stadia controller connects directly to Google ‘s platform via Wi-Fi According to Phil Harrison, former Sony and Xbox exec and current vice president at Google, the controller connects directly to Google’s data centers — rather than any specific screen you might be using — so you won’t need to re-sync it to, say, your laptop when you stop playing on the TV. In an interview with The Verge, Harrison says you’ll pair it with the Stadia network using a companion mobile app, which will connect the controller first to your local Wi-Fi network and from there to Google’s Stadia service. We don’t know how much the controller will cost, or whether or it will come bundled with a Stadia plan. (Assuming there will be a subscription plan of some sort, which still isn’t clear.) But it doesn’t seem like Google skimped on this controller, which is a good sign for those who were worried it would be a cheaper, lower-quality gamepad compared with the devices that ship with Microsoft and Sony consoles. And if you don’t want to use this controller, you won’t have to: According to Harrison, the service will support other gamepads, too. It sounds like the Google Assistant integration may be the only thing you’ll miss.<doc-sep>Earlier this month, a patent surfaced that revealed a possible design for a forthcoming Google game controller. Now that Google has officially unveiled its long-expected cloud gaming service, called Stadia, we can finally get a look at what the gamepad actually looks like and how it works. And it looks, well, much like a DualShock controller, with a pair of twin sticks, a D-pad, and plenty of face and shoulder buttons. One distinguishing feature, aside from the crisp black-or-white color scheme, is the home button featuring the new Stadia logo. It also sports a sharing button and a Google Assistant button, letting you use the controller’s built-in mic to talk to Assistant for accessing in-game hints if you get stuck. It’s called, quite simply, the Stadia controller, and Google says it will connect directly to the data center, presumably eliminating lag issues. Having a fairly standard style of controller is important, as Stadia will feature a number of notable AAA-style games, including the likes of the upcoming shooter Doom Eternal and titles from indie studio Tequila Works. “This is your gateway to the best of Stadia,” explained Google’s Phil Harrison, when unveiling the new hardware on stage. However, Stadia will support other controllers, so the new pad won’t be necessary for accessing the new streaming service. There’s no word yet on when the gamepad will be available, nor how much it will cost.<doc-sep>
Screenshot : Google Today, Google announced its new Stadia game streaming platform that lets gamers play games on pretty much anything with an internet connection. Laptops, desktops, phones, and even TV’s with a Chromecast Ultra attached are all supported. That means there’s no need to go out and buy a new console to get access to Stadia, but surely, Stadia must have some sort of proprietary hardware right? Yup, it’s the Stadia Controller. Looking like a mix between an Xbox One controller and a Nintendo Switch Pro controller, the Stadia Controller offers a traditional gamepad experience for all your platformers, shooters, and whatever else you might want to play. Like most modern controllers, the Stadia Controller has a very familiar layout featuring a D-pad, two analog sticks, four face buttons, and some triggers and shoulder bumpers in back. Screenshot : Google However, what separates the Stadia Controller from other gamepads is its dedicated button for the Google Assistant, and built-in wifi, which Google claims will help reduce latency so that your movements don’t suffer from lag while being transmitted to Stadia’s Cloud Servers. The Stadia Controller also has an included 3.5mm jack, presumably for audio, and a dedicated share button that will automatically record clips at the highest possible resolution (potentially up to 4K or 8K), before letting you share those moments on YouTube. Screenshot : Google Sadly, Stadia and its controller don’t have a firm price or release date yet, so we’ll probably have to wait until at least E3 to find out when all this will become available for real.