After all the pricing and game reveals ahead of E3 2019, we’re finally on a clear path toward the Stadia launch. If you are interested in trying out Google’s cloud gaming service, you’re likely trying to figure out the best way to access the new platform.
The only current option is through the Founder’s Bundle that’s available for pre-order in the Google Store. And if you’re a pal benefiting from the included Buddy Pass, you’ll be happy to hear that the Google Stadia controller is now available for individual purchase.
The Stadia controller doesn’t look like an attempt to reinvent the wheel and closely resembles the gamepads PlayStation and Xbox players know very well. The controller, which comes in white, black or wasabi, will connect to Wi-Fi and be able to use a cross-screen function to switch quickly between TVs with attached Chromecasts, PCs, and mobile devices.
Users will be able to connect to Google Assistant with a button press and voice input using the integrated microphone, though the scope of this function as it relates specifically to Stadia isn’t known just yet. There’s a 3.5mm headset jack for the controller, and it also has a capture button so you can save images or video.
As we reported when the pricing was revealed, you can’t play Stadia right away by just purchasing a controller alone. Google suggests purchasing an individual Stadia controller if you want to have a spare handy or if you’ll have access to the service via a Buddy Pass. The Buddy Pass allows owners of the Founder’s Bundle to give a friend access to three months of Stadia Pro.
If you don’t have any friends willing to hand over their Buddy Pass and you want access to Stadia this year, you’ll have to fork over the money for the Founder’s Edition bundle. Along with the 3-month Buddy Pass, it includes a controller, three months of Stadia Pro, a founder’s badge, and a unique Stadia name. Stadia Pro will include access to games like Destiny 2, The Division 2, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Once it expires, you can use Stadia Base and purchase games individually if you don’t want to resubscribe.
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.