The day Google almost created the best video game controller

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The day Google almost created the best video game controller 1

Video game streaming is beginning to be established in Spain as one more option to play the best titles that until recently we could only enjoy on a video console or PC. This technology has allowed us to play on mobile phones, tablets, smart televisions or even low-power computers because the video game runs on a server.

This has allowed companies like Google to enter a market that was initially closed to very few players. Stadia arrived a year ago with great promise, and after several months using the platform I am clear about what is the most spectacular and what aspects should improve to continue expanding its gaming platform.

The most incredible thing about Stadia is its controller

The day Google almost created the best video game controller 2

When Google announced Stadia, in its first months the only way to play the platform was by buying a hardware pack or by being invited by someone who had bought it. This pack is calledFounders Edition for the firstfoolish enthusiasts and for the rest thePremiere Edition, a pack that has recently been given to YouTube Premium users or those who pre-order Cyberpunk 2077.

In this pack we receive a Chromecast Ultra to play on television, but also a controller designed specifically for Stadia. Google was very insistent that the controller had been designed to offer the best possible gaming experience, and at the time we did not believe much in its quality.

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To be the first video game controller made by Google, we were very surprised by its quality. In terms of size, weight and ergonomics it is at a spectacular level. Its battery is excellent and it is also charged by USB C.

As a controller, other details that make it excellent are its vibration and the sensation of pressing each button. Both the joysticks, triggers, buttons and crosshead have a spectacular feel.

All this balance between comfort and sensations have achieved that, since I received myFounders EditionStadia, this controller has been my preference for playing practically any video game that has come before me in recent months.

And, likewise, that is his biggest problem.

Beyond the comfort of a video game controller: its technology is the greatest virtue and defect

The Stadia controller is, forgive the redundancy, designed to be used with Google Stadia. Its main value at the technology level is that it is a remote that works via Wi-Fi. When you press a button, these keystrokes are transmitted over the internet to Stadia’s servers to achieve the lowest possible game latency, a crucial aspect of streaming.

The day Google almost created the best video game controller 4Usual operation of the Stadia controller.

In addition to the Wi-Fi connection, this remote has support for Bluetooth 4.2 LE and a direct connection via USB C. The problem is that the support for these two connections is practically testimonial.

Connecting the Stadia controller via Bluetooth is practically impossible, and its use is limited to establishing a connection briefly while we communicate it to the servers. Through the USB C port it is true that we can play some mobile games and there are even several PC games that support it (the command is taken as DirectInput and thanks to this I have been able to dedicate dozens of hours to Dark Souls 3 and Rocket League).

Google can add better support for USB C and make control via Bluetooth possible.

The day Google almost created the best video game controller 5

Another aspect in which Google is not trying much is in the compatibility with the mobile. There is an official accessory calledClaw (in Spanish, Garra) that is used to couple the mobile to the command. Accessory that many months after the presentation is still not in Spain.

It is time to learn from the best

The Google Stadia controller is wonderful, it is such a good controller that it could very well be the only controller you want to play with. At least, that is my relationship with the controller having practically all the official controllers of Sony, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, Controllers that I only use today because the Stadia controller does not work in the current game.

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In our experience over decades playing video games,the Xbox controller is one of Microsoft’s greatest successes. Since the Xbox 360, Xbox controllers have become one of the benchmarks in the PC world, and if you are a gamer, you are more likely to have an Xbox controller than any other controller brand.

With the advent of streaming, the Microsoft cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has shown us that entering the Xbox cloud is much easier and more accessible than ever. Although it works with any remote, having a remote that you already bought because it was the best for PC makes testing the service a mere procedure that you don’t even think about.

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The policy that Google is enforcing with its controller is as if the Xbox controller only works with Microsoft consoles and the PlayStation controller with Sony consoles. However, we live in a world in which they are not only compatible with their consoles, but also have support for PC, Android and even iOS, an ecosystem that is usually very closed.

Google has a controller on its controls that can help expand Stadia among, not only streaming enthusiasts, but also traditional gamers, players who, even if they do not think about trying Stadia, by being their preferred controller end up being an opportunity to the service because “you already have the command at home.”

Or who knows, even to have an excellent command if Stadia ends up being closed, which with Google you never know.

The entry The Day Google Almost Created the Best Video Game Controller appears first in The Free Android.