On Monday we speculated that Google was going to announce a new game streaming platform at GDC that’d be available on a wide variety of devices, and it seems we were right.

Google Stadia is a brand new platform whose aim is to bring a high-quality gaming experience to everyone regardless of what devices they own. It is powered by Google’s worldwide data centers will be accessible on desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, TVs, and more. Stadia will even be compatible with YouTube, which allows users to instantly access whatever games they see straight from the Data Center. The idea sounds wonderful on paper, but we’ll have to see whether it delivers in practice. For now, an announcement trailer for Stadia is available, you can check it out below:

Google claims that Stadia is capable of streaming games in 4K resolution and 60 fps. Majd Bakar, Vice President of Google’s Project Stream, also said that the platform could achieve up to 120 fps and 8k resolution in the future. In a live demonstration of how Stadia works, Bakar had a person play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on a Chromebook, then switch to a phone, a PC, and then a TV. After each switch, the player could immediately continue from when the game was left off in the previous device. The upcoming Doom Eternal – a sequel to the 2016 FPS game DOOM – will reportedly be playable on Stadia as well, and no doubt it is just one title out of many that’ll support this platform.

 
The live demonstration where Assassin's Creed was played across multiple devices

Google will also release a new hardware to support its streaming platform: the Stadia Controller. It looks something like a hybrid between a PS4 and an Xbox One controller, with 2 analog sticks, a D-pad, 4 action buttons on the front, and triggers on the shoulders. This controller connects directly to Google’s servers through wi-fi so as to minimize input lag. Additionally, there is a “share” button that allows users to record their gameplay footage and share it with others on Youtube.

Google Controller
The new controller from Google

Stadia is expected to launch later this year, although no price tag has been specified yet.