Article Summary
Google Stadia is coming this Fall to Canada but the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a will be the only smartphones that support it at launch. With possibly the best hardware on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ could be the best phone to game on. WhistleOut looks at what phones we most want to use when playing on Google Stadia.
The next generation of gaming is starting to come into the light led by services like Playstation Now, GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass. All of these services run your games in the Cloud so you don't need a powerful system at home. However, none of them work on your cell phone and tablet... yet.
That's where Google Stadia comes in.
What Is Google Stadia?
Launching in November, 2019, Google Stadia will be a game streaming service just like Netflix is for movies and TV shows. With one subscription you can play premium and AAA video games that normally require an expensive console or powerful gaming computer.
You'll be able to play a wide selection of currently popular video games through the Chrome browser on a desktop or laptop, on your TV through Chromecast Ultra, or even on your Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a smartphone.
The subscription service will be $11.99/month and support up to 4K resolution gaming with 60 frames-per-second (fps) with HDR and 5.1 surround sound. A Founders Edition package is available for $169 Cdn which includes:
- Chromecast Ultra 4K
- Stadia Controller (in exclusive Night Blue design)
- 3-month subscription
- Destiny 2 game (includes all expansions and season pass content)
- A free "Buddy" 3-month subscription to share with a friend
Individual games can also be purchased outright. A free "Base Subscription" will be coming in 2020 that limits streams to 1080p, doesn't include any free games but will let you play the games you've bought.
How Does Game Streaming Work?
Normally you play video games with a game pad. You press a button or move the joystick, your console (an Xbox, PC, Playstation, etc.) responds and shows you video on the TV of the results. All Google Stadia does is moves the console to the internet. You need to be online and have a fast and reliable connection for this to work; Google recommends at least a 35Mbps connection for the best-quality video streaming.
One feature that makes Google Stadia unique is that games can be played on any Chrome browser, including those running on an old laptop. It's also the only streaming game service that will work on Android smartphones and tablets. So that opens another question:
Picking The Best Phone for Mobile Gaming
When Google Stadia launches in November, the Stadia app will only support Google's current generation of Pixel smartphones. That includes:
- Google Pixel 3 (64GB/128GB)
- Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB/128GB)
- Google Pixel 3a (64GB)
- Google Pixel 3a XL (64GB)
No word yet on what smartphones will be supported next, but we have a wish-list. When it comes to gaming, some devices are better than others, and you don't necessarily need to spend a fortune to get it. Here's the hardware and software you need to look for when picking a device for mobile gaming.
Display
For the most part, there are two kinds of screen technology; AMOLED and IPS LCD. With the advancements in technology over the last decade of smartphones, both will be good for gaming.
OLED offers more vivid colours with darker blacks, better viewing angles and faster refresh rates. This tech can also be called AMOLED, Super AMOLED, P-OLED and more. Great if you play indoors a lot.
IPS LCD offers finer detail, more realistic colours and better performance in bright sunlight. Perfect if your mobile gaming sessions are outside or in a bright room on your lunch break.
Resolution is the number of pixels on your screen. If your phone is under 6" (measured diagonally), you should look for a minimum 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels high. You may recognize those numbers because 1920x1080 is the same resolution as a full HD television screen.
Screens over 6" should have a resolution of at least 2560x1440 pixels (sometimes called "Quad HD").
Connectivity
When choosing a connection to the internet, there are three things you should keep an eye out for; speed, data cap, and latency.
Speed: You know this. How fast you can download something. Download speeds make the difference between streaming low-quality video and Ultra High Definition. For the best experience you'll need a sustained 35Mbps internet connection.
Data Cap: This is where mobile data service fails you. At 35Mbps you'll burn through a 15GB monthly data cap in about an hour. If Google Stadia launches with the option to stream at lower quality (720p resolution) while on mobile networks then you will still burn through 4GB per hour.
Latency: Latency is how long it takes for the signal to go from your device to the server (or vice versa). Imagine it like an echo; you shout into a canyon and the amount of time between that sound bouncing off a distant wall and getting back to your ears is the 'latency'.
For most uses on the internet, latency isn't a big deal because it's measured in milliseconds. 300 milliseconds is literally the blink of an eye, but for real-time game streaming even 100 milliseconds can be too long. 5G promises to bring those speeds down under 10 milliseconds, but you have an even better option.
WiFi 6 is the newest standard in home wireless internet. While the current generation of Pixel 3 phones don't support it, some newer phones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 family support the tech needed to improve both speed and latency. You'll also need to buy a new router for your home internet that supports WiFi 6.
Bluetooth: The Google Stadia Controller connects to the internet with it's own WiFi connection. You may already have a Bluetooth gaming pad you love or want to game with a Player 2. Depending on your smartphone's capabilities you might even be able to connect more than one gamepad to your device.
Google Stadia Will Run On Android
Almost any device that runs the Chrome web browser should work. This includes Windows PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. It doesn't appear that mobile Chrome (Android and iOS) will support Stadia game streaming.
At launch, Stadia will only support one mobile operating system - Android. Google hasn't announced the minimum OS version needed, but if you have a recent smartphone running Android 8 (Oreo) or newer then you should be safe.
Tablets will be supported but this might be limited to tablets running ChromeOS and Windows. No details have been released as to whether Android tablets will be supported at launch. WhistleOut will update this page once we know for sure, so stay tuned.
Will Google Stadia Work on iPhone?
Apple's iOS supports a lot of Google services, but Stadia will not be one of them when the service launches. That means iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch owners will have to wait for support. While you can get the Chrome browser on your iPhone and iPad, it's not "true Chrome" so it won't work with Stadia when it launches.
Stay tuned, because with more than 700 million iPhones in the world you can bet Google will try to get Stadia working on iOS as quickly as possible.
WhistleOut's Cell Phone Wish List for Google Stadia Streaming
With all that said, which phone is the very best for mobile game streaming?
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Why We Like It: Every year Samsung releases a new Galaxy S flagship phone, but this year the top-of-the-line is the S10+ featuring the fastest CPU, the most RAM, largest battery, and a huge 6.4" AMOLED screen with more than 4 million pixels. There may be no better screen found on an Android smartphone right now. The 5G version of the S10 is due out later this year but probably not in the Canadian market. The Galaxy S10+ features WiFi 6 so your home internet can still give you the best experience possible.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ 128GB Plans
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Fido
$39 Data, Talk & Text Plan with 20GB
$102.95/mth
+ $40 Upfront
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More Phones For Mobile Gaming
The best is the best, but also incredibly expensive. You can't go wrong with a premium, flagship device like Samsung's Galaxy S10+ but what are some good alternatives?
Motorola moto g7
Motorola squeezes exceptional performance out of low-priced phones and this year's moto g7 family is no different. Although it's a mid-range processor, you're still given the newest Android 9.0 (Pie) operating system, Dolby Audio sound and a 6.2" 1080p+ screen. Available for only $349.95 or $0 down on select two-year plans with Videotron, this phone is easily the best low-cost choice for mobile game streaming.
If you don't have access to Quebec-based Videotron, the moto g7 Play has lower hardware specs but also an even lower price tag. The moto g7 Play can be found at most major carriers throughout in Canada.
Razer Phone 2
Available to Canadians through the Razer.com site for $699. This phone was built from the ground up for mobile gaming. The screen features a 5.7" 120Hz QuadHD display, fast CPU, support for 5.1 Dolby Surround sound, loads of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. Since it's not available at any carrier you can't get the price offset over two years like most phones. Even so, you're not going to find a better screen for mobile gaming on a phone that costs less than $700.
Best Carrier for Google Stadia
Canada has more than a dozen carriers. Some have better performance than others, but what can really make the difference are the features. Whether it's Google Stadia, YouTube, Netflix or any other video streaming service you can quickly run through your data cap and start to incur overage charges.
Koodo Mobile
Fido and Virgin Mobile usually offer the same prices for the same talk time and data, but where Koodo shines is their exclusive Shock-Free data plans. If you hit your download cap for the month, Koodo will shut off your data. No surprise overage fees at the end of the month. When streaming video you can easily burn through 10GB in a few days when you're not careful.
It's still not known what features Google Stadia will include to limit mobile data use, but even if your download speeds are under control you want a network that is reliable and offers low-latency (read above for more about that).
Koodo Mobile runs on the Telus Mobility network of cell towers. It's the largest, fastest and most reliable network anywhere in Canada. Perfect for gaming sessions where connection quality means the difference between having winning the match and having to respawn.
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#1
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Koodo Mobile
$39 - No Tab/BYO Plan with 20GB Data
$39/mth
+ $10 Upfront
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#2
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Koodo Mobile
$44 - No Tab/BYO Plan with 40GB Data
$44/mth
+ $10 Upfront
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#3
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Koodo Mobile
$49 - No Tab/BYO Plan with 50GB Data
$49/mth
+ $10 Upfront
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