Google Stadia shutdown: Final weekend to enjoy cloud gaming platform | Gaming | Entertainment

Google Stadia is about to shut down for good, just three years after making its original debut. If you have a Stadia Controller as well as any games tied to your account, then consider this your last chance warning to enjoy the cloud gaming platform before it’s taken offline forever. Google Stadia will officially go offline on January 18, making this the final weekend to access your games.

Google Stadia eliminated the need for a dedicated console, letting users stream games over the cloud using the official Stadia controller.

And assuming you had a decent internet connection, the technology was actually pretty sound.

You didn’t need a powerful PC or console to enjoy demanding games like Red Dead 2 or Cyberpunk 2077, for example. Indeed, the Stadia edition of Cyberpunk 2077 was actually one of the better versions of the game at launch.

Unfortunately, however, some dubious business decisions didn’t do the platform any favours. Most notably, game prices were far too high.

For the most part, Stadia games cost the same as their PlayStation, Xbox and PC counterparts, despite fears that you wouldn’t be able to access your content if the service ever went offline.

This is exactly what ended up happening, although Google has at least provided refunds for affected customers.

Google explains more: “Starting November 9, 2022, Stadia will attempt to automatically process refunds for all purchases of games, add-on content and subscriptions fees other than Stadia Pro made through the Stadia Store.

“We ask for your patience as we work through each transaction and ask that you refrain from contacting Customer Support as they will not be able to expedite your refund during this time.

“We still expect the majority of refunds to be processed by January 18, 2023.”

The Stadia Store is now closed and Pro subscriptions are no more, although you can access any of the games you purchased, even if you’ve already received a refund.