With the gaming industry’s eyes on Sony and Microsoft for their respective next-generation console launches this week, Google attempts to promote its game streaming platform in a surprising way. Folks who are active subscribers of their YouTube Premium service will reportedly receive a Stadia Premiere Edition bundle, which is currently valued at $100. As it stands right now, many gamers appear to be still hesitant regarding cloud-based gaming service. Thus, it could be a form of publicity for the internet search outfit.
The package includes everything one needs to get started – a Stadia controller and a Chromecast Ultra. Those hoping it would be the latest model are out of luck because it is the previous generation version without Google TV. This is understandable given the latest one does not support the manufacturer’s game streaming service just yet. Instead, owners should wait until a new update is released sometime in the first half of 2021.
Unfortunately, this offer is limited to YouTube Premium subscribers who signed up before Nov. 6, and in specific regions only. The eligibility details were shared on Twitter by a user named @RandomNoobYT who included a screenshot of the requirements. Google’s Stadia service made its debut on Nov. 19, 2019, which means its first anniversary is next week and the promotion might be intended to celebrate the occasion.
The Stadia experienced a rocky launch last year as issues arose such as shipments delays, and latency. The latter had such a huge impact on the experience, due to Google’s claims that it had found a solution to reduce lag. Due to the unpredictability of internet services, Stadia owners quickly pointed out the problems.
YouTube Premium has been available for a while now. It started out as Music Key in 2014 and delivered ad-free streaming of music videos from supported studios on Google Play Music and YouTube. Now, it has been extended to include all videos and enable background playback, which users have requested before.
The Stadia giveaway appears to be limited to qualified YouTube Premium users in the United States and the United Kingdom only. Its should be noted that aside from the hardware, the service requires a subscription. The aforementioned bundle will ship with one month free service, which should be enough for players to gauge its performance with their internet service.
AFP / Ina FASSBENDER
