In retrospect, 2021 was a lower-key year for Google Stadia, with fewer major announcements regarding the platform itself compared to 2020. While several important new platform features dropped (e.g. Android TV and LG TV support, State Share, Direct Touch, Controller tethering, Ubisoft+ rollout, Public Parities) many users eagerly awaited even more proof that the platform was moving forward expanding. The year ended with a bit of social media drama around the 12 Days of Stadia promotion, which didn’t satisfy the cravings of some. It’s safe to say that the Stadia team took note of that, and decided to put a greater focus on communication during 2022.
So far, 2022 has been a great year for Stadia, despite fewer games releasing on the platform in the same time frame (2022 is ahead of the 2020 release pace but behind 2021). About game releases, it’s best to keep in mind that, as of late, more and more games have been launching on Stadia, especially as shadow drops. Not everything has to be announced weeks or months in advance. That said, let’s look at Stadia’s platform trajectory.
Stadia’s platform trajectory during 2022 so far
Stadia TV app announced for Samsung and TCL
Only a couple of days after New Year, both Samsung and TCL announced that Stadia would be available on their newer models via an app. This way, those who own a compatible TV, would be able to enjoy their games without the need of a Chromecast or a similar device.
So far, only Samsung has released the app via the Gaming Hub. Starting by the end of June, everyone who owns a Samsung TV from 2022 has access to Google Stadia and can enjoy their games there, without the need of an additional dongle.
Also, in June, Google was hiring for a multiple software engineers to help expand Stadia to other devices.
Explore tab gets updated
During early January, the Explore tab got updated on the browser version of Stadia, adding the Trending section. This way, Stadia users could see what other players were playing at the moment and what games are popular. The Trending section launched first on the mobile app.
According to recent apk findings, the Explore tab might see another long-awaited feature making its debut soon. When the Stadia team announced the Explore tab, emoji reactions to posts and screenshots were present. Said reactions might be available really soon.
STADIA trademark registered in Australia
On February 1st, STADIA’s trademark was registered in Australia via its Government. You can check out the trademark history here. This doesn’t confirm Stadia’s release in Australia, at least not yet. However, the same process was necessary before Stadia’s release in Mexico.
Stadia Pro reaches +50 games
February’s Stadia Pro additions helped the platform reach over 50 games available to claim with the subscription. Ever since then, Stadia has been able to maintain the +50 games on Stadia Pro claim, despite some games leaving the rotation. This proves that despite not using the same subscription model as Amazon Luna, Game Pass or other competing services, Stadia Pro can offer great value.
Truly Free Play Days
Stadia’s Free Play Days have always added great value to Pro subscribers. Despite that, a lot of people asked for the Free Play Days to be made available for everyone. The Stadia Team listened to the feedback. In early March, a Free Play Days event took place for Dead by Daylight – Now without the need of Stadia Pro. This meant that everyone could enjoy the game for free during the weekend. As of now, new Play Days, as they’re called now, are still free for everyone to enjoy.
Google for Games – Developer Summit 2022 Keynote
On March 15th, Google celebrated their 2022 Keynote regarding Google and Video games. Said event hosted a section about Stadia, where Stadia users got a good chunk of news and details about the platform. Here are some news that were announced:
- Stadia Store revamp, discover games without an account
- Make games more discoverable with unique URLs
- Click to Play Trials
- New developer tools, Low Change Porting
- Partner Incentives, new revenue share plans
- Affiliate Marketing Program
- Immersive Stream for Games, B2C
Google Stadia adds Free Trials
Shortly after the previously mentioned Keynote ended, the first Free Trial launched on Stadia. Risk of Rain 2 started a new trend: enjoy the game for free for a limited time without the need of a Stadia account. With only a Google / Gmail account, everyone located in a supported country could enjoy the game for free. As time passed, more and more games would offer a Free Trial. Some for 30 minutes, and some other up to 3 hours. As of the writing of this post, there are over 120 Free Trials for everyone to enjoy, with more being added constantly.
Some months after Stadia added their Free Trials, PlayStation announced that some of their games would get timed trials for those with an active Plus subscription. Even more, rumors have it that Xbox is planning something similar with their Game Pass subscription, for games that are not included with the service.
Stadia Store redesign
By the end of April, the Stadia Store got a significant glow up. While the previous design was functional, it felt bland. With a gray background and only some text, the only things that brought color to it were the screenshots. But alas! A new layout for the games pages added more visual flavor. With a unique background for every game, and more stylized buttons and details. The main info, like price, Pro status and trials, is now displayed on the left side, always visible.
This new page is only visible through the browser version of Stadia. It would be ideal to also rework the mobile app to make it more similar. A lot of people have also been asking for a redesign of the Chromecast and TV apps, to make navigation easier. We’ll see if there’s a chance regarding those in the future.
Google invests in Latin America
During the second week of July, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced an investment in Latin America. While not particularly related to Google Stadia itself, it’s a great opportunity to point out Google’s desire to expand to that territory. The main focus of said investment is to develop a digital infrastructure in order to bring more of their services there. Said services include Gmail, YouTube and even Google Cloud. It could help expand services like Google Stadia to other territories in Latin America.
Stadia coming to Mexico
Announced in July 30th during a Google for Mexico showcase, Stadia is set to release in Mexico by the end of 2022. The announcer announced Stadia as a cloud system which allows gamers to enjoy their games without the need of downloading them. This allows them to play instantly on various devices. The announcer also notes the vast catalog of games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed.
While Mexico is the first new country in a year, it proves that Google still intends to expand Stadia’s reach. It is a slow process and building the needed infrastructure is not easy. Rumor has it that Brazil will be the next supported country. New games have been rated for Stadia in Brazil, on top of its trademark being completed earlier this 2022. Other rumors point out Stadia’s expansion to Asia.
Capcom partners with Immersive Stream for Games
On June 9th, the Stadia Team shared, alongside Capcom, a new version of Resident Evil Village demo. Said demo can be played via the cloud with Google’s Immersive Stream for Games. Using Stadia’s technology, companies like Capcom can host their own version of their games. This might not seem really related to Stadia, but Stadia’s official Twitter account shared some insight. This proves that companies like Capcom and AT&T are interested in what the cloud has to offer.
Stadia’s Linux Kernel build adds GeForce drivers support
It is known that Stadia runs on Linux, and its blades use AMD GPUs. That said, the GitHub repository, with Stadia’s kernel, received an interesting update. NVIDIA’s GeForce GPU drivers support was added. While this doesn’t prove anything, it allows the Stadia team to test NVIDIA GPUs. Make sure to check out our article regarding these news to get all the details.
New partnerships and releases
As of this year, Google Stadia has added a nice amount of games, from a varied group of developers and publishers. Low Change Porting sure has made things easier for developers, and helped them make a good chunk of revenue, specially with Stadia Pro. Feel free to take a look at this excellent article from sDadia_Net/TheScientist detailing data regarding Stadia Pro.
Aside from that, long-awaited games have been finally confirmed. The rumored Saints Row reboot is coming to Stadia day and date with other platforms. After the “5 games contract” with Electronic Arts supposedly ended, people worried about FIFA 23 not being available on the platform. Despite that, the game was announced alongside the other platforms. On top of that, with cross-play with current gen consoles and PC. This just goes to prove that not every game has to be announced with weeks or months in advance. Also, that the Stadia port might be announced at a later date.
If you want to be up-to-date and know all the games coming to Stadia this 2022, check out our list that gets updated regularly.
Chaka gets a promotion
And to end this article, a huge congratulation to Chaka, who started on Google as Stadia’s Social Media Manager. As of the last week of July, she got promoted to Consumer Marketing Manager. We are confident about Chaka and her team’s work, and wish them all great success!
Great review!