Google Stadia comes to Samsung Galaxy S20 (and some Asus and Razer phones, too)
This week you'll be able to play Google Stadia via the official app on phones besides the Google Pixel.
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Google's streaming game service doesn't need a Pixel any more.
Google's streaming game service, Stadia, is no longer just for Pixel phones . Official support for 13 Samsung phones, plus a few Asus and Razer gaming phones, is coming in a few days. But you'll still need to hardwire these phones to the Stadia controller with a USB cable.
If you're interested in playing with Google Stadia, these are the phones you can use, starting Thursday, Feb. 20: Samsung's Galaxy S8 , S8 Plus, S8 Active, Note 8, S9, S9 Plus, Note 9, S10, S10 Plus , Note 10, S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra, the Asus ROG Phone and ROG Phone 2, plus the Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2. That means the official Google Stadia app will work on those phones. Previously many Android phones could access the service directly via the Chrome browser by setting the browser to desktop mode, but this was a suboptimal experience.
Stadia works with Bluetooth controllers wirelessly, but needs a tether for Google's own Stadia controller. Google is working on support via a phone without a USB cable, but that still isn't here yet (you can play Stadia on a TV via Chromecast Ultra wirelessly, though).
There are other streaming gaming players out there, including Microsoft . Samsung's already partnering with Microsoft for a future premium game streaming (xCloud?) service that will be announced later this year.
Google's streaming game service still feels like an expensive early-adopter experiment, and promised YouTube-focused features and a free-to-subscribe tier still aren't here yet, but could be announced later this spring. For the latest on Stadia, see our updated FAQ.
