Samsung phones can now play Xbox AND PS4 games with new Google Stadia app

02/21/2020

GOOGLE Stadia now works on loads of new Android phones – most of which are Samsung models.

The popular game-streaming service is designed as a replacement to your PS4 or Xbox One, so it's great news for gamers.

What is Google Stadia?

Google Stadia is a game streaming service that lets you play console-level titles on smartphones and laptops.

Normally, a games console renders graphics on the machine – requiring powerful and expensive hardware.

Stadia renders the graphics on a Google computer and sends them to you over the internet, a bit like Netflix.

It means you can play games on really rubbish devices, including smartphones or the Google Chrome web browser.

The service costs £119, and includes a Chromecast Ultra and three months of access to Stadia Pro's free library of games.

You can also buy additional games from the Stadia store.

A free tier called Stadia Base will be added in the coming months, which lets you buy your own games to play at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second.

Google Stadia supported devices – here are the smartphones you can play on

These are the new additions added on February 20:

Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10E
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Razer Phone
Razer Phone 2
Asus ROG Phone
Asus ROG Phone II

And you could already play on these devices:

Google Pixel 2
Google Pixel 2 XL
Google Pixel 3
Google Pixel 3 XL
Google Pixel 3a
Google Pixel 3a XL
Google Pixel 4

It's worth remembering that Google plans to add even more devices to these lists over time, so don't be too disappointed if your mobile isn't on there yet.

Google Stadia games – February 2020 list

Here are the games you can play on Stadia already, or that are coming soon:

Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle
Baldur's Gate 3
Borderlands 3
Cyberpunk 2077
Darksiders Genesis
Destiny 2: The Collection
Destroy All Humans!
DOOM
DOOM Eternal
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2
Farming Simulator 19
FINAL FANTASY XV
Football Manager 2020
Get Packed
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Gods & Monsters
GRID
GYLT
Just Dance 2020
Kine
Marvel's Avengers
Metro Exodus
Mortal Kombat 11
NBA 2K20
Orcs Must Die! 3
Rage 2
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
SAMURAI SHODOWN
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Supercross 3
SUPERHOT
The Crew 2
The Elder Scrolls Online
Thumper
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Trials Rising
Watch Dogs Legion
Windjammers 2
Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Video game streaming – how does it work?

We explain it all…

When you watch a movie, the images you see are already prepared
That's why very unsophisticated computers inside your TV, DVD player, or computer can playback film footage
But video games render the visuals in real-time, because a game never knows what you'll do next
That means you need much more computing heft to produce game visuals, compared to a standard movie
So if you want amazing 4K PC-style graphics, you'll need to fork out for an expensive computer
Alternatively, you could use game streaming technology
The idea is that a company like Google, Microsoft or Sony would handle the generation of the visuals on powerful computers at its own HQ
Then it would send what's effectively a video of that game to your smartphone
You tap and play, and those commands get sent back to Microsoft or Sony, which then inputs them into the game, and sends you the visuals again
Because modern internet connections are so fast, this all happens in milliseconds
The resulting effect is 4K PC-style graphics on a smartphone – which is only possible because it's not the phone itself rendering the graphics
It also means that you could potentially be playing an Xbox or PlayStation game on your console, and then leave the house and carry on playing using your iPhone
This sort of technology could eventually kill off gaming consoles for good, because all you'd need is a TV with game-streaming tech built in, and a controller to play with
But game streaming is still trying to get off the ground
Sony bought a game-streaming called OnLive, but shut it down in 2015
Google launched the relatively successful Stadia last year
And Microsoft is currently preparing to launch its xCloud streaming service

In other news, the PS5 and Xbox Series X could cost a hefty £500 at launch.

Sony has already sent the official PS5 website live.

And both new consoles are expected to have thousands of games ready at launch.

Are you tempted by Google Stadia? Let us know in the comments!

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