Started up Stadia yesterday and realised I miss the feeling of physically turning on a different digital environment.
I know this is going to sound ridiculous but could the Stadia team consider making a physical box with just a button to open the Stadia app, or maybe rebrand the Google wifi mesh with a Google Stadia button that opens up the Stadia app for Google TV?
Ideally a physical box that combines chromecast ultra, wifi mesh and google smart speaker, which would also be a better start for new Google smarthome/stadia customers and users but now I'm just letting my mind wander.
Basically:
I hope to see a Google branded stationary box with a physical button that just opens up the Stadia app for Google TV.
I know this sounds ridiculous and if you want to turn this into an April fool's stunt/gimmick product that's totally cool.
I just miss that little experience when you get home and have an hour or two to spare, press the button on the console, grab the controller, and just sit down to unwind. Or when you don't know what to do for the next hour just before you go to bed and then you notice the console.
Enjoy your weekends and have a good one next week!
Hi @Muurkast
I believe this will go against the idea of cloud gaming where you can play in mobile device, browser and tv. You can send a feedback from the mobile apps, but unlikely you'll see different hardware than a controller.
Hi @AndroiFy !
Thanks for the quick reply, could you elaborate?
Is it because this would be specifically for Google TV and because it would be stationary which could potentially hurt/muddy the waters on the core idea that stadia can be used anywhere?
You can just play from most of the TV with the Stadia app or using Chromecast Ultra + TV and controller.
This why you don't need a console.
I would like a chromedeck... chromeos on a handheld with a Google TV interface when I use it as a game controller...
You currently have the Stadia controllers and pressing the button can launch the Stadia app, sooner or later when the integration is finished pressing the Stadia controller again should always launch the Stadia app on the Android TV device and even turn on the screen where it is plugged in.
Chromecast Ultra is already discontinued and will not be released anymore, now it is replaced by Chromecast with Google TV, and if you buy together with a Stadia controller you should have a discount now.
Having the Stadia button on the command that launches the application itself, I don't think it is very necessary to have it on another peripheral.
The current direction they are taking is to give more functionality and integration to the Stadia controller to be able to be used in all Android TV menus and that the Stadia app itself is aware of the Stadia controllers to launch the application if requested.
Everything is still in tests and irregularly, being activated little by little according to devices and users, since even the functionality of the apps for TV is very basic, lacking an adequate menu to choose games (when you have 200... do not see laughter... and already with Stadia Pro and the free ones and demos you have more than 60 as soon as you start on the platform...).
@Muurkast I can definitely see where you're coming from. There's always room for retro and we've been seeing a lot of pieces of gaming back from 80s and 90s coming back recently. The closest thing you can get right now is probably one of those detached Android TV devices like Nvidia Shield TV to simulate that console "feeling".
Personally I feel there's always room for market for things like this, but maybe not right now. Stadia needs to get bigger traction regarding availability and popularity, basically getting out from niche market and become more mainstream, before we see anything like what you mentioned in the market. Probably not directly from Google, but from 3rd party providers.
Right on! You are absolutely right, can't wait for upcoming news and plans