Google's Stadia was announced in March as a streaming service that would enable 4K 60fps gameplay on pretty much anything that can run the Chrome browser. Remote servers handle the heavy lifting, which will end the dependence on high-end hardware requirements, but as we noted when the announcement was made, the whole thing, like all streaming services, is heavily dependent on infrastructure: You either have a big, fat pipe, or you die a lot.
There was an expectation that Google would go deeper into Stadia details at E3, which is coming up very quickly. It's not going to wait quite that long, however, as it announced today that the debut Stadia Connect will take place at 9 am PT/12 pm ET this Thursday, June 6. Details are thin but the event will cover launch information, game announcements, and maybe most interesting of all, the price.
Some news can't wait for #E3. Tune into the first ever #StadiaConnect this Thursday 6/6 at 9AM PT for exciting announcements, games, and more → https://t.co/dKmKakQeQp pic.twitter.com/mZRagFGh4kJune 3, 2019
This won't be the first crack at a streamed gaming service—the defunct OnLive was announced a decade ago—but Google brings an unprecedented amount of money and power to the table, and that makes Stadia worth watching even if you're cynical about its prospects. Google has already made power moves with the platform, snagging Doom and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey as launch games, and launching a Stadia-exclusive first-party development studio headed by Jade Raymond. It's far from a done deal (remember Google Plus?) and there are a lot of questions yet to be answered, but if anyone has the capability of making high-end streamed gaming a reality in the reasonably near future, it's Google.
