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Ars originally liked the Stadia controller, describing it as "solidly built, with springy, responsive inputs." It could still be that way without a giant USB cord if Google unlocked its full Bluetooth capabilities. (credit: Kyle Orland)
Google's Stadia game-streaming service will
die a nearly inevitable death early next year
. Google is refunding players the cost of all their hardware and game purchases. But, so far, Google is also leaving Stadia players with controllers that, while once costing $70, will soon do less than a $20 Bluetooth gamepad.
Stadia's controllers were custom-made to connect directly to the Internet, reducing lag and allowing for instant firmware updates and
(sometimes painful) connections to smart TVs
. There's Bluetooth inside the Stadia controller, but it's only used when you're setting up Stadia, either with a TV, a computer with the Chrome browser, or a Chromecast Ultra.
The Google Store's page for the Stadia controller
states in a footnote: "Product contains Bluetooth Classic radio. No Bluetooth Classic functionality is enabled at this time. Bluetooth Classic may be implemented at a later date." (
Bluetooth Classic
is a more traditional version of Bluetooth than modern low-energy or mesh versions.)