7 ms·

As others mentioned, but to add a bit more clearer detail, the controllers did not connect to the device you were playing on i.e your computer/tv etc, they used

As others mentioned, but to add a bit more clearer detail, the controllers did not connect to the device you were playing on i.e your computer/tv etc, they used wifi to directly connect to the stadia servers thus avoiding an extra step and hence making them useless once the stadia servers closed down wirelessly, because they never worked like a normal controller (still would work wired though) The controllers did however have a bluetooth chip that was used for initial setup, so you could connect it to the stadia app and put in the wifi settings. This firmware update google is releasing so that it will work as a normal bluetooth controller using this bluetooth chip.

benatkin 4y ago
So they did the same thing as Chromebooks - made it dependent on Google software.
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  What might another solution be that isn’t inferior in terms of latency?
  - benatkin 4y ago
    To support both. To not build the tech equivalent of fast fashion.
    - Waterluvian 4y ago
      That isn’t sensible from a product perspective. Engineering stuff for a peripheral “in case our company fails.”
      - benatkin 4y ago
        That's like creating clothes to only be worn a few times because you're targeting people who buy lots of clothes. A controller is an input device similar to a mouse and keyboard and ought to support standards so it can work with different devices. This "product perspective" seems to be that of IKEA and McDonald's.
      - TechBro8615 4y ago
        And yet they managed to add the feature after the product failed.
        lolinder 4y ago
        Yes, because now they know customers actually will need it.
        sangnoir 4y ago
        All customer purchases were refunded - including the hardware. This is a goodwill gesture, and the people at Stadia have my gratitude.
        lolinder 4y ago
        Also true! My point was just that it wasn't malicious of them to not initially build a feature they didn't intend to use.
    - surajrmal 4y ago
      You are assuming there was room on the device to support both at the same time. The amount of RAM/storage to support a Bluetooth stack may seem small but it's not for tiny devices. I'm sure they devoted resources to the WiFi path that the product was designed for instead.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- PhasmaFelis 4y ago
  From the other comments, it always had fully unlocked wired-USB support. And they did build Bluetooth support into the controller, and released software to enable that Bluetooth as Stadia was going under. Still seems really weird not to enable it from the beginning--what would they lose?--but the made the right decisions during design and at the very end, at least.
- dmix 4y ago
  The architecture makes sense if you understand how the cloud gaming system is set up though. There's no general protocol for on board contoller wifi/SOC->cloud gaming services (yet). It's inherently a proprietary design. It also didn't need a bluetooth chip but they added one anyway. It wasn't sold as a general controller so I don't really see the big deal. This is a nice good will gesture.
  - IshKebab 4y ago
    Right, the direct wifi connection makes sense when using it with Stadia, but why did they not let you also use it as a standard Bluetooth controller?
    - sergers 4y ago
      Cause they were selling stadia. It didn't need to support general purpose, they were not looking to sell the controller for general use (google terrible at hardware support). People buying it knew it only worked with stadia. For stadia use, it made sense and connectivity over Bluetooth would have increased latency and complexity to the cloud service. Moot point now, but atleast they opening it up so you don't have to throw the hardware in the trash
      - bombolo 4y ago
        > Mute point now *moot
        sergers 4y ago
        Thanks fixed, autocorrect
    - dmix 4y ago
      Having the engineers focus on doing one thing really well is good enough for me.
  - duskwuff 4y ago
    > It also didn't need a bluetooth chip but they added one anyway. It uses the same IC for both functions -- BCM43458.
MuffinFlavored 4y ago
how was latency? is this a common pattern? where the controller skips the host console/PC?
- Grazester 4y ago
  The PC wasn't the host and that is why it was skipped
- dragonwriter 4y ago
  There was no host console/PC, Stadia is a gaming system where the “host device” is in the cloud; there’s a local playback device (which might be a computer, or just a Chromecast stick) but that’s jist getting playing a audiovideo stream, not hosting the game. Goven the prevalence of WiFi for the playback devices, using a Bluetooth connection to the playback device to route controller input would add latency.

benatkin 4y ago

So they did the same thing as Chromebooks - made it dependent on Google software.

Waterluvian 4y ago
What might another solution be that isn’t inferior in terms of latency?
- benatkin 4y ago
  To support both. To not build the tech equivalent of fast fashion.
  - Waterluvian 4y ago
    That isn’t sensible from a product perspective. Engineering stuff for a peripheral “in case our company fails.”
    - benatkin 4y ago
      That's like creating clothes to only be worn a few times because you're targeting people who buy lots of clothes. A controller is an input device similar to a mouse and keyboard and ought to support standards so it can work with different devices. This "product perspective" seems to be that of IKEA and McDonald's.
    - TechBro8615 4y ago
      And yet they managed to add the feature after the product failed.
      - lolinder 4y ago
        Yes, because now they know customers actually will need it.
        sangnoir 4y ago
        All customer purchases were refunded - including the hardware. This is a goodwill gesture, and the people at Stadia have my gratitude.
        lolinder 4y ago
        Also true! My point was just that it wasn't malicious of them to not initially build a feature they didn't intend to use.
  - surajrmal 4y ago
    You are assuming there was room on the device to support both at the same time. The amount of RAM/storage to support a Bluetooth stack may seem small but it's not for tiny devices. I'm sure they devoted resources to the WiFi path that the product was designed for instead.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
PhasmaFelis 4y ago
From the other comments, it always had fully unlocked wired-USB support. And they did build Bluetooth support into the controller, and released software to enable that Bluetooth as Stadia was going under. Still seems really weird not to enable it from the beginning--what would they lose?--but the made the right decisions during design and at the very end, at least.
dmix 4y ago
The architecture makes sense if you understand how the cloud gaming system is set up though. There's no general protocol for on board contoller wifi/SOC->cloud gaming services (yet). It's inherently a proprietary design. It also didn't need a bluetooth chip but they added one anyway. It wasn't sold as a general controller so I don't really see the big deal. This is a nice good will gesture.
- IshKebab 4y ago
  Right, the direct wifi connection makes sense when using it with Stadia, but why did they not let you also use it as a standard Bluetooth controller?
  - sergers 4y ago
    Cause they were selling stadia. It didn't need to support general purpose, they were not looking to sell the controller for general use (google terrible at hardware support). People buying it knew it only worked with stadia. For stadia use, it made sense and connectivity over Bluetooth would have increased latency and complexity to the cloud service. Moot point now, but atleast they opening it up so you don't have to throw the hardware in the trash
    - bombolo 4y ago
      > Mute point now *moot
      - sergers 4y ago
        Thanks fixed, autocorrect
  - dmix 4y ago
    Having the engineers focus on doing one thing really well is good enough for me.
- duskwuff 4y ago
  > It also didn't need a bluetooth chip but they added one anyway. It uses the same IC for both functions -- BCM43458.

MuffinFlavored 4y ago

how was latency? is this a common pattern? where the controller skips the host console/PC?

Grazester 4y ago
The PC wasn't the host and that is why it was skipped
dragonwriter 4y ago
There was no host console/PC, Stadia is a gaming system where the “host device” is in the cloud; there’s a local playback device (which might be a computer, or just a Chromecast stick) but that’s jist getting playing a audiovideo stream, not hosting the game. Goven the prevalence of WiFi for the playback devices, using a Bluetooth connection to the playback device to route controller input would add latency.