GoogleS ill-fated cloud gaming platform, Stadia, might potentially be gone, but its hardware is receiving a final act. Just over two years after announcing its closure,support for the Stadia controller continues with a new update from Valve,adding dedicated functionality within Steam. This move allows former Stadia users to repurpose the controller, but time is running out to activate Bluetooth pairing for continued use-the deadline is December 31st, according to Google [[1]].
In September 2022, Google announced it would shut down Stadia, its ambitious attempt to disrupt the gaming industry with a streaming-only platform. Stadia offered several advantages over traditional gaming, eliminating download and loading times for players.
Despite those benefits, the service failed to gain traction, with a market share hovering between 0 and 0.5 percent. Google handled the shutdown with unusual generosity, offering refunds to customers and allowing them to keep their Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra.
The Stadia controller has always been compatible with Steam, but Valve has now added dedicated support with a range of improvements. Users who own a Stadia controller have a few weeks remaining to activate Bluetooth pairing if they haven’t already done so, with a deadline of December 31st.
