After months of awkward anticipation, Google finally announced its gaming entry plan.

Called Stadia, the platform gathers players, developers, creators and content viewers through millions of simultaneous connections to a global network of servers under the giant's hat.

It is not magic but technology

In practice, this means that you can follow a link, includied in YouTube video, you will be able to play every video game - no matter how graphically heavy - in just five seconds. You can play on your old laptop, on your clumsy home PC, on your smartphone or tablet, or on your smart home TV. You can start playing on one device, then switch to another, and your progress will always be saved. You do not need any hardware except for a simple controller that connects on WiFi directly to the servers and not to any particular device. Google's controller, which does not even have its own name, looks pretty standard, but connects to the cloud over Wi-Fi so there's no delay in rendering the commands. It also allows players to stream gameplay with the help of a specific button and request help with progress in the game directly from the developer. If you have an existing USB controller that uses the HID standard, it will also work.

Preliminary platform tests under Project Stream last winter were 1080p at 60 frames per second. But in the end, Google will target 4K with the same number of shots. The lowest resolution the company is willing to drop is 720p. As for graphics power, Stadia promises a total of 10 teraflops versus 4.2 teraflops for PS4 Pro and 6 teraflops for Xbox One X. In addition, Google implies that it is working on "very sophisticated technology" to keep players progressing, that the Internet connection breaks suddenly.

An even more social gaming

Stadia is clearly designed to be the starting point for the social gaming world. You have a lot more freedom in viewing YouTube content, including the option to smoothly - at least in theory - switch from viewer to player. You can watch favorite YouTube channels and play with content creators. At the touch of a button on the controller, you enable Google Assistant if you need help. He detects which game you are playing and shows you the most appropriate YouTube video to see how to get a level. Google plans to integrate Stadia into its most important services. Your Gmail account will even be used to log in to Stadia.

When and where will Stadia start first?

The next announcements around the platform may be expected around E3 in June. So far, Google has not confirmed the show, but it will hardly miss using the forum to attract more attention. However, current plans foresee the premiere by the end of 2019, so there is not much time.

As for the areas where Stadia will be available first, these are the United States, Canada, the UK and the "vast majority" of Europe. Without being sure for now, Bulgaria will probably not get that coverage - Google Stadia is likely to come later.

How much will it cost?

For now, Google declines to comment on the cost of the service. On the one hand, the giant can seek a conservative approach and tie it at a level comparable to traditional tariffs in Steam PC space. On the other hand, however, it may decide to demand a monthly fee equal to or greater than what Netflix charges. This will be a risky option and certainly developers and publishers will not be happy. It is unclear how the revenue will flow between them and Google.

Time for awkward questions

Of course, there are many questions. How will the gaming styles look like in the world of game streaming? How will the games be saved and collected if there is no physical media at all? What will happen if Google tosses all its financial power to Stadia and monopolizes the market as it does with internet search and advertising? Perhaps the most worrying question is what will happen to the gaming industry if later the giant decides simply to withdraw?

Immediately after Stadia's announcement, gamers and journalists focused mostly on technical aspects. That was the part that Google gave the most details, so it was natural for people to ask above all for latency in connection with the controller, speed and what would be possible today and in a few years. However, anyone who knows Google's history can not help but think about how the company is doing business. Over the years, Google has the unpleasant habit of starting and leaving initiatives, products and services, ranging from the Google+ alternative social networking experience to Google Reader, Google Health, and more. Even attempts to provide high-speed internet with Google Fiber, something that is key to any form of streaming, faced infrastructure shuffle

Google Stadia official website