Google Stadia Premiere Edition: A New Era of Gaming

Google Stadia is a whole new way to experience gaming. The new Google Stadia Premiere Edition is the best way to experience Stadia.

The whole Stadia ecosystem is still unfamiliar to many, though. If you’re not already familiar with Stadia, Stadia Pro, and Stadia Premiere Edition, this quick guide will show you how to experience AAA gaming without AAA gaming hardware.

Google Stadia is a new way to play video games. It’s a cloud-based gaming service that allows you to play high-powered games on the devices you already own. Got an old laptop that can’t handle any decent games? With Google Stadia, you can still play (as long as you have a quick internet connection and your laptop meets some basic minimum requirements).

Google Stadia does the heavy lifting, handling all that processing required to generate complex 3D graphics. Then that content is delivered to your device over the internet—almost as if your phone, tablet, or laptop had the capability all on its own.

Actually playing games on Google Stadia is free, though you’ll have to buy the games through Stadia to do so. There are some other ways to gain access to content, discussed below.

Every gaming ecosystem has its own subscription service, and Stadia is no different. Stadia Pro is Google’s monthly subscription service, free for the first month and $9.99 per month thereafter.

So what does Stadia Pro get you? Instant access to tons of games that you can play immediately. Plus, Stadia Pro adds new Pro-level games every single month. As a member of Stadia Pro, you also get exclusive discounts on other premium games purchased through Stadia.

If you’re playing on a PC, all you need is the latest Chrome browser, plus a keyboard and mouse (or a compatible gamepad). Android phones and tablets use the Stadia app, and TVs can get in on the action with a Chromecast Ultra and Stadia Controller (available directly from Google).

There’s also another purpose-built way of playing Stadia: Google Stadia Premiere Edition.

While the idea behind Stadia is to unlock top-tier gaming experiences on just about any device, Google knows there can still be compatibility hang-ups and performance issues with certain hardware combinations.

Not only that, many gamers prefer to play on their TVs when they’re at home — not on smaller screens or mobile devices.

To that end, Google has introduced the Google Stadia Premiere Edition. This $99.99 bundle combines a Chromecast Ultra preloaded with Stadia software and the premium Stadia Controller, a high-end gamepad purpose built for Stadia.

The Stadia Premiere Edition takes the guesswork and frustration out of getting Google Stadia up and running. No more performance glitches, compatibility issues, or tedious button mapping.

The Stadia Controller is an impressive piece of hardware. It’s elegantly designed and available in three color schemes:

The Stadia Controller works with just about any device that’s compatible with Google Stadia, and it works seamlessly with the Chromecast Ultra in the Premiere Edition. It’s designed with exactly the inputs you need for AAA console gaming.

There’s also a dedicated Capture button on the Stadia Controller, allowing you to record your top highlights in real time, instantly saving video clips and screenshots to the cloud.

The Stadia Controller charges and connects via USB-C. It also includes a Google Assistant button that triggers the microphone. Further, it includes a 3.5mm headset jack, allowing you to plug in for audio and talkback. It’s both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (including BLE) enabled for maximum connectivity, as well.

All this cloud-based goodness seems like it would take a seriously robust internet connection. But Google claims that all you need is 10Mbps or greater internet speed.

The Google Stadia store is full of top titles from well-known game studios and indie developers alike. Here’s just a sampling of what’s available:

No matter what kinds of games you love, you’ll find them on Stadia.

Google Stadia (and the Premiere Edition) make it possible to game at a high level without ultra-premium hardware. But you still need a TV, computer or mobile device to play—and those devices still need protection.

Upsie offers industry-leading extended warranty protection on all sorts of devices. Whatever you’re playing on, Upsie can protect it. Just picked up the Premiere Edition? Upsie can protect that, too, with a controller extended warranty.