Not content to be left off the iOS bandwagon, Google announced today that, like Nvidia, it too will be bringing its cloud gaming platform to iPads and iPhones. The news comes hot on the heels of Nvidia’s GeForce Now announcement earlier today, and similarly to Nvidia, Google is developing a Stadia web app for iOS that bypasses Apple’s App Store rules prohibiting dedicated cloud gaming platforms by running the program in a web browser instead. Since its launch last year, Stadia has only had an iOS app for purchasing games and adjusting settings, but yay! iOS users will be able to game on the go now!
Editor’s Note: Google Stadia is not currently available in Australia.
However, the feature won’t be available today for public beta testing. Google says users can expect it to start rolling out several weeks from now, so it could be the end of 2020 or early 2021 before the Stadia iOS web app shows up on your device. Google also did not specify if Stadia will be available only on Safari or if it will be available on other mobile browsers like Chrome, too.
Considering Stadia is baked into the Chrome browser, it seems likely that Google would just make Stadia available via Safari on iOS, because there’s already a functional app on Android, and you can access the platform via the Chrome browser from any computer. Gizmodo has reached to Google out for clarification and will update this article when/if we receive a response.
That’s not all the good news Google has to share. In celebration of its first birthday, all Stadia users will be able to play Destiny 2 for free starting today. The first full implementation of State Share — the ability for players to pop right into a specific moment within their own game by clicking a link provided by another player — will launch in Hitman 3 on Jan. 20, 2021. And if you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia before Dec. 18, you can get a free Stadia Premiere Edition, which includes a Stadia controller and a Google Chromecast while supplies last. It might take a while to arrive, given the pandemic and that the holidays are the busiest time of year for shipping, but you’ll save $US100 ($138) on Stadia equipment if you buy Cyberpunk 2077.
If you already preordered Cyberpunk 2077 before this announcement, you can still get a free Stadia Premiere Edition, Google said. Just be on the lookout for an email with a redemption code, which should hit your inbox a week before the Dec. 10 launch. If you’re already a Stadia Pro subscriber and this would be your first Stadia store purchase, you can also save $US10 ($14) on the game when you purchase Cyberpunk 2077 on or after Dec. 10.
While the “Apple Tax” debate is far from over, it’s great to see so many cloud gaming platforms figure out a way to let iOS users in on the fun. After all, the whole point of cloud gaming is that you can play on any device anywhere at any time. While the anywhere and anytime part still has a ways to go before becoming a reality, the any device part has been (or will be soon be) realised now that iOS devices are supported.