You Can Now Stream Games Directly From Google Results
Google Chrome users in the US can now launch select video games directly from Google search results, just like you can for movies, music, and TV shows.
Games run in your browser via cloud streaming services like GeForce Now or Microsoft Cloud Streaming, which means you can play on any computer, smartphone or tablet with Google Chrome installed. So even weaker devices can play games – often at 1080p at 60fps with minimal input lag – as long as you have a solid and stable internet connection.
Wait, isn’t this just Google Stadia?
If you’re thinking, “Couldn’t Chrome have done this already?” you are right. The Google Stadia cloud streaming service also lets you play games through Chrome or the Stadia app on phones and smart TVs. However, Google plans to end support for Stadia in January 2023. This new feature, while similar, is separate from the Stadia service, but probably not from the underlying technology.
Responses to Google’s announcement on Twitter highlight the confusion, with many users expressing disappointment that Google is launching a new Chrome feature just a few weeks before Stadia shuts down.
But it’s important to remember that Stadia is shutting down because of poor financials and lack of user interest, not because the technology isn’t working. To be fair, Stadia did perform quite well, despite a confusing monetization strategy. Plenty of other streaming services run on web browsers, so the new feature isn’t surprising either.
In fact, Google teased the ability to launch games through Google search months before it announced it was shutting down Stadia, and we can assume that Stadia would have been on the list of supported cloud platforms if it hadn’t disappeared.
Google also said it plans to bring the service’s streaming technology to other platforms such as YouTube, Google Play, and Google AR after Stadia shuts down, and says it will share the technology with other companies, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more features. , like Stadia, will appear in other Google products in the near future.
How to stream games using Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and find the game you are interested in.
- If the game is playable, the information panel will list the streaming services where the game is available. Click “Play” next to your chosen platform to open the game.
- If you already have an account and are signed into the streaming service of your choice, the game should download automatically. If you don’t, you will first need to register and login.
- Some games may also require a gamepad or keyboard and mouse, so keep a Bluetooth controller handy if you’re playing on a mobile device.