What you need to know
- AT&T Wireless customers can play Batman: Arkham Knight for free on PC through Stadia's streaming service without needing a Stadia account.
- This is the first example of Google lending its Stadia tech to other companies without using the Stadia name or store.
- Batman: Arkham Knight can be played for a limited time and is not available to purchase from the Stadia store.
Google is partnering with AT&T to offer the telecommunication company's customers a free version of Batman: Arkham Knight streamed through Stadia's service without needing to sign into a Stadia account.
9to5Google reports that AT&T Wireless users can play Batman: Arkham Knight for free streamed through Google Chrome or another Chromium-based web browser on a desktop or laptop. Users sign in with their AT&T phone number and billing zip code, and can play the game in full-screen at 1080p resolution using either keyboard and mouse or a compatible third-party controller.
There is no mention of Stadia on the promotion's page or within the game, and there is no option to connect a Stadia controller to play the game. IGN confirmed that AT&T is using Google's Stadia technology to stream Batman: Arkham Knight, which is not available to play on Stadia itself, without being a part of its ecosystem.
"This is being powered by the Stadia technology," an AT&T spokesperson said in a statement to IGN. "For this demo AT&T created a front end experience to enable gamers to play Batman: Arkham Knight directly from their own website and the game is playable on virtually any computer or laptop."
Google had shut down its internal development studios for Stadia last February, and said it would be working with third-party companies to use Stadia's technology and tools. The company had reportedly spent "tens of million of dollars" securing big titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the best games on the platform, but missed multiple targets in controller sales and monthly active users.
Play and Watch with Google TV Package
Play and Watch with Google TV Package is the latest bundle that contains the Chromecast with Google TV and a Stadia controller to easily get into playing Stadia games on the television.
