Skip to main content

Wireless Stadia Controller support for phones, desktops coming in 2020

The best way to get the full Stadia experience today is by playing on a TV with the Chromecast Ultra. It’s the only factor where the Stadia Controller connects directly to Google’s servers. Wireless support for phones and desktops is currently scheduled to come in 2020.

Since announcing the streaming platform, Google has touted the Stadia Controller as providing the most latency free experience by connecting directly over Wi-Fi to your Stadia instance in the cloud. In mid-October, Google said that it’s “working to add wireless options for those endpoints soon after launch.”

Sometime around November 19th, the Google Store listing for Premiere Edition was updated to note how “Stadia Controller wireless support for laptops, desktops, and select tablets and phones is coming in 2020.” While Google’s original guidance never provided a hard timeframe, “soon” somewhat implied a more immediate timeframe than 2020.

In the meantime, Stadia supports third-party controllers from Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Sony PlayStation. Most can be paired over Bluetooth to Pixel phones and laptops/desktops for wire-free gameplay. Using the Stadia Controller with USB-C is an okay experience today, but it just adds another obstacle to seamlessly starting.

Other Stadia Controller-related functionality that’s not yet available is Bluetooth audio for headsets, while mobile lacks screen captures and replying to voice chat. The two latter features presumably require — and are tied to — wirelessly Controller connectivity for data transfer. Google Assistant is not yet available on any platform for basic queries and commands, but it’s coming first to the Stadia Controller with Chromecast. That’s currently quoted as “coming soon.

More about Google Stadia:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel