Stadia’s free tier will be available first to Pro subscribers, 5 new games incoming

With the launch of Google Stadia, the company promised that there would be a free tier within “the next few months.” The idea of a free tier is that potential-buyers can test the service before going all-in on a kit and a subscription, in order to avoid unnecessary spending in case your internet connection can’t keep up. Currently, the Founder’s edition of Google Stadia costs $129, with a $10 monthly subscription required after a three-month trial. That monthly subscription nets you access to a handful of complimentary games, and you’ll need to purchase any others. Stadia’s free tier is finally coming, though it’ll be first available to Pro subscribers, and there are 5 new complimentary games set to arrive as well.

Those who purchased Founder’s editions will have received, at the earliest, a beta code on the 19th of November 2019. That means the three-month subscriptions are set to end in less than a week’s time, and those who may have purchased games were worried that they would not be able to access them anymore if they canceled their subscription. The idea of the free tier is that you can still play your own purchased games on the service, but any free games redeemed through the Pro subscription will be removed from your account. Games will also be limited to 1080p streams. Google confirmed all of that in a statement to Android Police.

While we know that the free tier of Stadia is widely anticipated, we aren’t announcing specific timing just yet, beyond Phil’s interview in Protocol. If a gamer opts not to renew their Stadia Pro membership, they will lose access to the games and discounts offered exclusively to Pro subscribers, but they will be able keep playing the games they purchased, and they will have access to the Stadia store to purchase additional games.

Google has also announced that five new games are going to be available for purchase on Stadia, ahead of more games like DOOM Eternal and Orcs Must Die.

• Lost Words: Beyond the Page
• Panzer Dragoon: Remake
• Serious Sam Collection
• Stacks on Stacks (On Stacks)
• Spitlings

Those games are available for purchase now on Google Stadia. Stadia is still undergoing a lot of development, and for example, should be available on Android TV in the future.

Source: Android Police | Source 2: Google