Stadia rolls out new features, free gaming kits for YouTube Premium members

Now that Stadia has got a steady footing in the cloud gaming market, Google wants the service to be visible to as many prospective consumers as possible. To this end, it has launched a deal (running till 31 December 2020) wherein, YouTube Premium members (in the US and UK) will get free access to Stadia Premiere Edition. The $99 bundle comes with Chromecast Ultra (the older model) and Stadia Controller – as anyone with YouTube Premium subscription can go for this lucrative deal. The only catch being, you’ll have to sign up for the first free month of Stadia Pro, that’s anytime cancelable; and the offer is only valid if you subscribed to YouTube Premium paid plan as of 6 November.

Other than this announcement, Stadia also revealed the inclusion of new profile pages with player details – just like Steam, PlayStation or Xbox. The player username, profile picture, list of games, and friends list are shown depending on the privacy settings of the player. There will be an option to add/block/remove friend(s), party invitation button, and the game achievements.

Stadia is giving the option to include game voice chat in video captures between yourself and friends or other players when in-game chat. That said, the video clips saved before early November will not have your voice – only the voices of other players from the game chat. Party chat voices are also excluded for now. Also, Stadia is bringing the Family Sharing feature to the platform this week – allowing you to share games (Stadia Pro library and purchased titles) with family members.

Like all times the next lot of exciting games is also coming to the platform. The likes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Just Dance 2021, and Family Feud Decades. There are 31 free games with Stadia Pro that are waiting for your attention including Sniper Elite 4, Risk of Rain 2, Hello Neighbor: Hide and Seek, The Gardens Between, République, and Sundered: Eldritch Edition. Another thing to keep an eye on is the November 19 date up till which the Destiny 2: The Collection is free for download. F1 2020 is going to be available for purchase on the Stadia store, so motorsports fans better watch out.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *