Google Stadia streaming requires subscription and game purchases

What you need to know

• Google Stadia details were leaked by an embargoed press release ahead of the reveal.
• The service requires a $12 subscription and separate game purchases.
• Probably 31 games are going to be available at launch.
• It'll only work with a Chromecast at launch.

Updated June 6, 2019: According to a post by GamesRadar+, Stadia's free service will be capped at 1080p 30 FPS when it launches in 2020.

It wouldn't be E3 2019 without a few leaks. Over the past few days, Darksiders Genesis, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, and more games have been either leaked by retailers or outlets. Today, it's Google Stadia's turn. The French-language digital newspaper La Presse posted an embargoed press release before Google's event took place. The article was first spotted by users on ResetEra.

Everything from Stadia's pricing, games, and requirements were revealed. The highlights of the leaked press release have to be that it's launching in November, requires Chromecast at launch, costs $12 a month with separate game purchases, and comes with previously-released titles like Doom. You can read about everything La Presse revealed below.

• Stadia is launching in 14 countries in November with 31 games at launch.
• The "Stadia: Founder's Edition" costs $170 and comes with a controller, Chromecast Ultra, Destiny 2, and a three-month subscription.
• You need a Chromecast device for Stadia to work at launch, but it should work with Google Chrome in 2020.
• Stadia only works through a subscription at first, but a free version which offers 1080p streaming should launch in 2020.
• The "Stadia Pro" subscription costs $12 a month and features 4K resolution and 60 frames per second (FPS) video streaming.
• Older games with be included with the Stadia Pro subscription.
• New games will have to be bought separately and will probably cost $60.
• Google Stadia needs 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload to work, but the image quality may be quite blurry.
• The service requires 35 Mbps download for optimal 4K content and will probably use 20 GB or more data every hour.
• Old games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Destiny 2, The Division 2, Doom, and Tomb Raider are part of the catalog.

There were rumors floating around that Stadia would be a free service, but that doesn't appear to be the case. You have to pay $12 if you want to play games at 4K 60 FPS. While you get older titles with the subscription, the latest releases will cost you more. The latest "AAA" games will probably start at $60 just like they do on Xbox One and other platforms.

Are you interested in Google Stadia? What do you think of the pricing model and Founder's Edition? Let us know. It'll be interesting to see how Google Stadia compares with Microsoft's game streaming service, Project xCloud, when it's revealed on June 9. It's definitely an exciting time to be a gamer, that's for sure!

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