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Google Stadia launched six months ago, but how has it gone down with players?

Google Stadia is a gaming service which says it allows players to stream better-than-console-quality games, on a variety of different screens, offering instant access to play.

Until recently it was only available to play by buying the Premiere Edition, which comes with a controller, a Chromecast device and a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, its monthly paid-for service.

As of the beginning of April, Stadia has offered players a free trial version that does include some free games, although you'll still have to pay for some other titles.

Coronavirus has seen the amount of time people are spending time on games increase. Market research company The NPD Group says sales of video games are up by 34%.

Which means Google Stadia has seen an opportunity in providing a service to gamers during the ongoing crisis.

So, six months on, how have people found playing Google Stadia?

Newsround spoke to professional gamers as well as gaming expert Elle Osili-Wood to look at how it differs from its rivals.

Pros

No downloading and unlimited space

In theory, Stadia is like Netflix, but for playing games.

This means that players don't have to wait for games to download, they can just click and play by streaming the games.

Elle says: "That means you don't have to worry about running out of space on your computer or console, Google stores all the games online."

One of the limitations players have had with other consoles is the lack of space, meaning they might have to delete an old game to play a new one.

You can play anywhere

"Google Stadia games can be played on any device that has Google Chrome on it, you can use a television, laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone." Elle said.

"That means you could start playing a game at home on your computer and then pause it and finish playing it outside on your phone."

However, you are still limited by which phone you can play it on. Stadia operates on Google's Pixel phones and most of the biggest Android phones available. A spokesperson for Google told us they now had, "an opt-in program," to help other devices get Stadia up and running. Players with an iPhone still can't play, however.

Squash those bugs

Stadia also means that you don't have to wait for lengthy downloads or updates when gaming manufacturers release patches to fix bugs.

"When you start to play a game it will always be the latest version," says Elle.

Cons

Internet required

Elle says that a good internet connection is essential if Google Stadia is going to work properly.

"Google Stadia hosts your game online, when you press a button the signal has to go to Google and then come back again." With a poor internet connection, a game is more likely to lag, which means it runs slowly or doesn't respond.

Many rural parts of the UK, away from bigger cities, have slower internet speeds meaning playing Stadia could be difficult for them.

Cross-play woes

Cross-play is a feature which allows people with different consoles to play the same game together.

But it isn't something that has been rolled out everywhere, with some games supporting it, some games not featuring it yet and some commentators saying there still weren't that many players in the games. This has been a bit frustrating for some players on Stadia, and means it can feel a bit lonely at times.

Google told us that, "Stadia does support cross-play with other platforms, and multiple titles support it."

A few players have noticed bots being introduced in games designed for older players, something Google told us was "a publisher/developer decision that is true for multiple consoles and platforms, not just Stadia."

No ownership

If someone purchases a game through Stadia, they don't really own the product.

"It's like borrowing a game from a friend, you can play it as much as you want, but it isn't yours," Elle explains.

"So if Google Stadia closes down or you leave the service, you won't be able to play the games you bought anymore."

What are gamers saying?

Gaming YouTuber, Joseph Garrett, otherwise known as Stampy Cat, says that "game streaming is going to be the future and, depending on your internet connection, is a very viable way to play games today".

However, he doesn't believe that means Stadia specifically will be successful.

"It's hard to justify spending full-price on a game that can only be accessed through their service. A Netflix-style streaming service would be great, allowing you to quickly try multiple games without waiting for downloads. That is where Microsoft's xCloud and Nvidia's GeForce now have a big advantage.

"I think cloud-based gaming has a bright future, but why would I build a new library of games on Stadia when I could play my existing library of Xbox/Steam games on xCloud or GeForce? Stadia's tech works well, but they will struggle to compete with the established brands such as Xbox and Playstation with their exclusive games and loyal fans."

Frankie Ward is a gaming streamer on Twitch, she also hosts lots of e-sport events. She says gaming on Stadia would make what she does almost impossible.

"For me as a streamer who often plays multiplayer games, I'm not looking at Stadia as an option because I don't want to put extra pressure on my internet bandwidth.

"During the covid-19 lockdown, my internet service has been very poor, to the point where it has affected my broadcasts, so I wouldn't consider anything that puts extra demand on my internet service provider."

Despite Stadia not being an option for her, Frankie says she can understand why it might appeal to other gamers.

"I do think it would appeal to more casual gamers to want to try out a range of different titles without taking up precious memory on their PC or uninstall things to make space."