Google Stadia doesn’t officially launch until November 19, and when the streaming service does launch, its mobile compatibility will be limited to a selection of Google Pixel devices. If you happen to own one of those devices, however, you can install the official Android app right now and prepare to play your favorite games on the go.
There isn’t much you can actually do with the official Stadia app yet, but you can download it for free to Google Pixel 2 devices and up, provided they are running Android 6.0 or later. The app will also work on the Chrome OS tablets like the Pixel Slate, HP Chromebook X2, and Acer Chromebook Tab 10, if you want to play on a bigger screen while you’re traveling.
As shown in the preview screenshots for the app on Google Play, the official Stadia app will be split into three tabs: Store, Home, and Explore. You’ll see tiles for all of your available games on the Home screen, and you can access community forums or social media networks right from the app. Depending on the device you’re using, Stadia supports up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second with HDR, and Google promises ultra-low latency to deliver an experience similar to what you’d get with standard games on consoles or PC.
If you are planning on playing your Google Stadia games with the official controller, you’ll have to have a USB-C cable at launch. Only Chromecast Ultra will allow you to use the new gamepad wirelessly from the beginning, though support will come to other devices later. Stadia uses your Wi-Fi network for inputs, as opposed to the Bluetooth connection that is used by Microsoft’s Project xCloud.
Those who want to get Google Stadia from the very beginning might already be out of luck if they haven’t pre-ordered the Founder’s Edition or Premiere Edition bundles. Those who pre-ordered are already being told that it could be another two weeks past the launch date before they receive their starter kits, which will be the only way to use Stadia out of the gate. A free Base Edition will arrive in 2020 and will not require a subscription fee.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.