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Heads up: this post is from January 2023. Google recently extended the ability to convert controllers to Bluetooth mode by one year. The new deadline is Decembe

Heads up: this post is from January 2023. Google recently extended the ability to convert controllers to Bluetooth mode by one year. The new deadline is December 31, 2024.

ShamelessC 3y ago
Am I crazy for thinking they should release a tool that does this offline and then just end support for it after those dates?
- codyogden 3y ago
  Nope. It's something I suggested the other day: https://twitter.com/killedbygoogle/status/1735913152662196468 https://twitter.com/killedbygoogle/status/173591315266219646...
- londons_explore 3y ago
  The webpage is pretty much self-contained... You could probably just save the page for offline use in your browser and have it work forever.
  - Grazester 3y ago
    Someone already did this and posted it on GitHub about a year now
- throwuxiytayq 3y ago
  People who suggest this fail to understand that to a google-brained PM it would be a complete and utter career-destroying faux pas to suggest that they should make a non-web app, even for a purpose as trivial as a firmware upgrade.
  - Kwpolska 3y ago
    Doing it via the browser means they get support for Linux out-of-the-box. If this was a long-term thing, they wouldn’t need to care about things like Apple switching architectures for the umpteenth time.
  - nyanpasu64 3y ago
    Bring back the Windows Google Talk client...
- dvngnt_ 3y ago
  yes! that's not the "google way"
  - ShamelessC 3y ago
    Ahh you’re right. Don’t know what I was thinking.
vincheezel 3y ago
Why even have a deadline? Why not just release the firmware to the public? What does google gain from stopping people converting stadia controllers to Bluetooth in the future? I can already see issues like people who bought new old stock who can no longer do anything with them. The best case scenario is they release a toolkit to flash your own firmware so people can hack on the now completely otherwise useless controllers.
- lima 3y ago
  > What does google gain from stopping people converting stadia controllers to Bluetooth in the future? It means they can delete the code from the monorepo.
  - kevincox 3y ago
    The hardware isn't changing. If they aren't going to provide bugfixes and support they can just archive the built artifacts and publish a torrent or public Google Drive folder.
    - Tyr42 3y ago
      They do have that, and I think it'll be on GitHub indefinitely, but Google is hosting a live site which can reflash the controller. Eventually the framework it's running will be deprecated and someone will clean it up.
      - kevincox 3y ago
        All of the flashing logic is client-side. As a bonus they could archive the whole site. But even if just the firmware blobs were available it would be a huge win as developing another flasher is probably pretty easy with the provided documentation. I suspect that it wouldn't be hard to identify and download most of the firmware that could be used (I don't think there are many controller revisions) but distributing those will be a legal grey area without a proper license from Google which presumably owns the copyright.
- 3y ago

Heads up: this post is from January 2023. Google recently extended the ability to convert controllers to Bluetooth mode by one year. The new deadline is December 31, 2024.

ShamelessC 3y ago

Am I crazy for thinking they should release a tool that does this offline and then just end support for it after those dates?

codyogden 3y ago
Nope. It's something I suggested the other day: https://twitter.com/killedbygoogle/status/1735913152662196468 https://twitter.com/killedbygoogle/status/173591315266219646...
londons_explore 3y ago
The webpage is pretty much self-contained... You could probably just save the page for offline use in your browser and have it work forever.
- Grazester 3y ago
  Someone already did this and posted it on GitHub about a year now
throwuxiytayq 3y ago
People who suggest this fail to understand that to a google-brained PM it would be a complete and utter career-destroying faux pas to suggest that they should make a non-web app, even for a purpose as trivial as a firmware upgrade.
- Kwpolska 3y ago
  Doing it via the browser means they get support for Linux out-of-the-box. If this was a long-term thing, they wouldn’t need to care about things like Apple switching architectures for the umpteenth time.
- nyanpasu64 3y ago
  Bring back the Windows Google Talk client...
dvngnt_ 3y ago
yes! that's not the "google way"
- ShamelessC 3y ago
  Ahh you’re right. Don’t know what I was thinking.

vincheezel 3y ago

Why even have a deadline? Why not just release the firmware to the public? What does google gain from stopping people converting stadia controllers to Bluetooth in the future? I can already see issues like people who bought new old stock who can no longer do anything with them. The best case scenario is they release a toolkit to flash your own firmware so people can hack on the now completely otherwise useless controllers.

lima 3y ago
> What does google gain from stopping people converting stadia controllers to Bluetooth in the future? It means they can delete the code from the monorepo.
- kevincox 3y ago
  The hardware isn't changing. If they aren't going to provide bugfixes and support they can just archive the built artifacts and publish a torrent or public Google Drive folder.
  - Tyr42 3y ago
    They do have that, and I think it'll be on GitHub indefinitely, but Google is hosting a live site which can reflash the controller. Eventually the framework it's running will be deprecated and someone will clean it up.
    - kevincox 3y ago
      All of the flashing logic is client-side. As a bonus they could archive the whole site. But even if just the firmware blobs were available it would be a huge win as developing another flasher is probably pretty easy with the provided documentation. I suspect that it wouldn't be hard to identify and download most of the firmware that could be used (I don't think there are many controller revisions) but distributing those will be a legal grey area without a proper license from Google which presumably owns the copyright.
3y ago