Since 2018, the ROG Phone series has offered a smartphone and accessories for gamers from Asus. Now Asus has announced that the ROG Phone 3 offers a special bonus.Is the ROG Phone 2 still worth it?
What is the ROG Phone? The ROG Phone is part of the “Republic of Gamers” label under which Asus markets gaming hardware such as monitors, graphics cards, but also smartphones. While the devices are expensive, they provide gamers with everything they need for a good session.
The ROG Phone 2 is the current product in the series and is the second ROG smartphone. It is clearly aimed at gamers. However, there is also strong competition in the smartphone market from devices like the Black Shark Pro 2 or the Razer Phone 2.
For the successor, the ROG Phone 3, Asus has come up with something special.
ROG Phone 3 to offer Stadia app and Pro subscription
Stadia and free trial subscription should be included with the new ROG Phone from Asus
What does the ROG Phone 3 offer? According to a xda-developers post (external link), the next smartphone in the “Republic of Gamers” series is expected to come with the Stadia app pre-installed. To be particularly interesting for users, Google and Asus have thought of something special:
The next ROG smartphone is expected to offer 3 months of free Stadia Pro. This is worth about 30 euros: Currently, one month of Stadia Pro costs 9.99 euros.
It is not yet known whether the 3 months of free subscription can also be used with an existing account.
The ROG Phone 3 is currently the first smartphone to offer such a deal.
So, anyone who has not used Stadia yet and is also looking for a powerful smartphone should find a good combination here.
Other gaming smartphone manufacturers like Nubia or Black Shark have not yet arranged a deal with Google, so Asus is ahead of the competition.
The ROG Phone 2 has been available since 2019 and offers fast specifications and is a top model in terms of gaming smartphones:
Snapdragon 855 Plus with a clock speed of 2.96 GHz
GameCool II Vapor-Chamber Cooling System
120Hz display with 1ms response time and AMOLED 10Bit HDR display
6000mAh battery
Dual front stereo speakers
Dual camera system with Sony sensor IMX586: 48MP main camera and 13MP ultra-wide camera; 24MP front camera
For whom is the ROG Phone 2 worth it? The specifications are strong and you are also well-equipped for the future with it. The Snapdragon 855 Plus is currently the fastest processor that Qualcomm offers. Additionally, it features a 120Hz display, which is rare in smartphones – for gamers who want to play without delays, this is a must.
For those who mainly play on a smartphone and also enjoy playing more demanding games, the ROG Phone 2 is a good choice.
For those who instead only occasionally play on the smartphone, check emails, and do some browsing, there are much cheaper alternatives than Asus’s gaming smartphone.
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Is there any information about the ROG Phone 3 yet? Besides the joint action of Asus and Google, nothing else is known so far.
Xda-developers speculate that the specifications of the successor will not be worse and will likely continue to feature a Snapdragon, probably even the new Snapdragon 865 from Qualcomm.
In our preview, we introduced you to the ROG Phone 2 from Asus in more detail:
MMORPGs often follow a similar gameplay flow. We present five things that can be annoying in almost every online role-playing game.
Do you know that feeling? You enjoy playing MMORPGs and try out new ones whenever they are released, but there are certain things that annoy you? Game elements that are found in almost every online role-playing game but should really be discarded?
We present five such things. These may not suit everyone’s taste. Surely there are features among them that some of you might like. Therefore, this list is not universally applicable but reflects the taste of the author and some members of the Mein-MMO editorial team.
Some costumes like this one from Blade and Soul just don’t fit the atmosphere of an MMORPG.
5. Inappropriate Costumes
What are inappropriate costumes? Having an individual character that visually differs from other players is important for many players. That’s why developers often offer costumes in the in-game shop.
However, not all of them fit the style of the game. At Easter, there are sometimes bunny costumes, and at Christmas, a Santa hat. Then players run around dungeons dressed in colorful costumes, which does not suit the atmosphere.
Why does this keep happening? Developers know that some players like to spend money on cosmetic items and want to meet this demand to generate revenue.
The money then flows into the development of the online game. That’s why many MMORPGs offer such costumes, which can sometimes exceed the target in terms of design, especially when the game has been around for a while and all the “usual costumes” are already in play.
Considered a terrible example of this: TERA introduced cars as mounts. Source: YouTube
Why is it annoying? Sometimes it simply doesn’t fit. Imagine the hero group is on a quest to defeat a dark demon lord and fighting through a dark dungeon full of horrible monsters and undead. Suddenly, another player hops around the corner in a pink bunny costume.
The atmosphere is instantly ruined.
Grinding in MMORPGs can be necessary but also annoying.
4. Excessive Grinding
What is excessive grinding? Discussions can arise over grinding in MMORPGs. Sometimes it’s just there to artificially prolong gameplay. The next boss in the story cannot be defeated because the hero is too weak. Or you have to farm resources forever to finally have everything you need to craft that cool, powerful weapon.
Grinding then takes up a lot of time when you actually want to do the next story quest.
Why does this keep happening? Players want to be kept busy and not just run through the content, only to twiddle their thumbs at the end.
For developers, grinding is a relatively simple way to keep players occupied in the long term.
If you want to face cool boss fights, you often have to train first.
Why is it annoying? Sometimes it can interrupt the flow of the game when you constantly repeat the same activities. If you want to progress but first spend hours fighting the same mobs or spend half the day gathering resources to craft something. Grinding often feels like work.
The evil dragon needs to be killed urgently because otherwise it will lay waste to the city, but the hero first fights random wolves for days and gathers ore to improve his armor. Fortunately, the dragon is of course waiting until the knight is ready for the fight…
Loot is important in an MMORPG. But if you only get junk, you constantly have to sell it in town.
3. Getting Rid of Trash Loot
What is trash loot? You know the situation: You fight your way through a dungeon and get a lot of loot, but 90 percent of it is actually junk and useless. It clutters your inventory, but it also brings in money.
So you travel back to the city to sell the items. This repeats over and over.
Why does this keep happening? Players want loot. Finding loot creates a good feeling because you are rewarded for fighting monsters and completing quests. However, not every item can be something special. So, there is a lot of junk among the loot. You have to get rid of this.
MMORPGs often handle this by requiring players to return to town to sell the unwanted items. This stretches the game time.
In games like Final Fantasy XIV, inventory space is often limited.
Why is it annoying? Often the hero’s inventory is simply too small and the player’s desire to collect is too great, so in a large dungeon, trips back to town happen not just once, but multiple times. This constant back and forth can be quite annoying.
However, there are alternatives in some games where you can sell unnecessary items in your inventory or convert them into resources. Not all MMORPGs utilize these alternatives.
Sometimes, interchangeable bosses appear in an MMORPG. Will it be the same in Diablo 4?
2. Interchangeable Zone Bosses
What are interchangeable zone bosses? Sometimes there are boss enemies that just appear without much introduction. How do they fit into the story? Why do they appear? These bosses act as if they are something special, making a lot of noise. But once you defeat them, they are quickly forgotten.
Why does this keep happening? Defeating bosses creates a sense of achievement. Facing a large monster in a truly challenging fight is something special in an MMORPG. Furthermore, these bosses sometimes drop good loot. They present a change from otherwise monotonous activities, allowing players to showcase their character’s abilities.
She is considered an example of a successful “sub-boss” – Why can’t all be as impressive as Yotsuyu from Final Fantasy XIV?
Why is it annoying? If such bosses were better integrated into the story or world, their appearance would be more understandable. However, they often feel like the developers thought: “Oops, there’s a boss missing, let’s quickly put one in here”.
These bosses feel out of place. They don’t quite fit in. It’s as if you are suddenly pulled out of the action and the otherwise consistent atmosphere. When these bosses then act as if they are something special, it’s even more annoying. Because in reality, they are just interchangeable.
Fetch quests are necessary to generate content, but when you are supposed to save the world in an MMORPG, they seem inappropriate.
1. Inappropriate Fetch Quests when You Are the Savior of the World
What are inappropriate fetch quests? The evil god threatens to destroy the world. As a hero, you are supposed to bring an NPC 10 wolf pelts and 30 turnips gathered from the fields. Even after completing this task, another NPC later asks you to kill 15 boars and pick 25 apples.
Why does this keep happening? Content is important in an MMORPG. The games must engage players long-term, which can only be achieved if players constantly have something to do. Besides grinding, typical content includes fetch quests in MMORPGs. Not every quest can be a hyper-exciting story; that would be too much work for the developers.
MMORPGs often advertise with intense action – but daily life usually looks different.
Why is it annoying? Fetch quests themselves don’t have to be bad. They just don’t always fit into the game’s story. When you are the savior of the world who may also be under time pressure, you shouldn’t have to spend time collecting pelts or picking apples.
Often, later in the game, you don’t really feel like a true hero when you’ve already defeated dragons and razed orc forts, only to receive a new task from NPCs to kill 20 mountain lions.
What game elements in MMORPGs annoy you? Let us know in the comments.
Let’s see if these upcoming MMORPGs do it differently:
In Pokémon GO there is stress about trainers’ usernames. Some players report that their name suddenly changed, even though they did nothing.
Many trainers connect something personal with their username, and it would be unfortunate if the name suddenly changed without warning. However, this is exactly what happened to some players, who are now bringing attention to the issue on reddit.
Apparently without reason, Niantic is changing their usernames or adding some numbers to the name. The trainers are baffled.
By Niantic’s design or a nasty bug?
This is what trainers are reporting: The reddit user MrNPlay writes that his name was suddenly changed. He has had the name since the start of the game, and it is his real name, so there can’t be any violation.
Furthermore, he never cheated or gave his account to someone else. Nevertheless, his name in Pokémon GO has suddenly disappeared, and he does not understand why this happened.
For no reason, player names are changed
The trainer fauxfires speaks up in another thread and reports something similar. His name simply got a “3” added at the end, even though he never requested this change.
In the comments below, dozens of other players are also reporting similar cases. They simply have a “3” at the end of their names.
Are there already responses from Niantic? The developers have remained silent about these incidents. Neither on Twitter nor on reddit has the support team made any statements.
Have there been similar cases before? The sudden changing of usernames is a completely new problem. However, Niantic has already dealt with similar cases in the past.
There are rumors that Lost Ark might not receive a European release after all. Our author Schuhmann says: This is a rumor that should stop. Everything now points to an EU release by the Russians from my.com. They are even looking for a community manager.
Many have been waiting for years for the European release of Lost Ark. However, since mid-December, a rumor has been circulating that Lost Ark will never come to the West. We are looking at this rumor and saying what is true and what stands against it.
Where does the rumor come from? There is a single source for this rumor, on which all further articles and YouTube videos rely. The rumor comes from the Korean site “thebell.” (via thebell) This is not a gaming site, but a business site.
In an article from December 19, it was about the planned IPO of Smilegate, the developer of Lost Ark.
Therefore, the financial situation of Smilegate and Lost Ark was considered. The idea is: They will go public when things are particularly good for them, and the company is especially valuable due to the success of Lost Ark; for this, the financial perspectives are important.
In November, Smilegate announced plans to go public in May 2020. TheBell wanted to find out how the prospects for this are in December.
Lost Ark is performing strongly in Korea.
The article has 10 paragraphs and revolves around how the financial perspective of Smilegate looks, how much money the MMORPG Lost Ark takes in. It says:
the game is doing very well in Korea
but it takes time to bring Lost Ark to Russia and Japan because localization is progressing slowly
Then you read in a single sentence: “It is reported that Smilegate has no plans for further overseas expansions outside of Russia and Japan.”
This is the whole origin of this rumor. In the next sentence, it already talks about a planned mobile port.
Lost Ark in action.
Rumor comes through a game of telephone to the West
Is this official? No. The site does not provide a source for this assumption. This is a “rumor” or speculation.
How did this spread? The sentence, “It is reported that Smilegate has no further expansions planned for overseas,” was picked up by the US site “AltChar,” which focused only on this sentence without marking it as speculation. Altchar then stated: The Bell reported that Smilegate is not planning a port to the West.
Other sites, such as mmorpg.com or German PC Games, refer back to Altchar: “It’s not coming.”
Such a message is clearly above the “normal” videos: RIP Lost Ark, it’s coming.
A larger MMO YouTuber also covered this. He turned it into a “RIP Lost Ark” and gained 130,000 views.
What does it really look like? Absolutely everything else apart from that one sentence from TheBell speaks at the moment in favor of Lost Ark getting an English version and appearing in the West:
A guy shows in a video how he gets killed 4 times in the killcam of an opponent in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Thousands celebrate the clip with him.
This is the scene: A player of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had to endure a lot in a round of Domination on the chaos map “Shipment”. In the final scene of the game, the unlucky player gets hit 4 times.
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While his opponent probably sat smiling in front of the screen, “Crossfingers” could only watch as he was taken apart sequentially by the powerful R0-9 shotgun.
Shipment spawns are insane, but the map remains popular
How can this be? The little massacre took place on the mini-map “Shipment”, which has made its way into several CoD installments. The map is absolutely tiny compared to the “normal” maps. This often leads to situations where you spawn not just in the field of vision but directly in the line of fire of an opponent.
However, it takes a bit of bad luck to spawn 4 times in a row in front of the same bloodthirsty shotgun rusher and take his bullets.
Shipment is stressful, but many players enjoy it
What are the reactions? The thread is going viral on reddit and has gathered more than 28,000 upvotes and 1,000 comments in just 13 hours (as of: 21.02./10:30 AM).
In the many comments, tons of users express their solidarity with the poor guy and share their own stories about how ruthless the spawns can sometimes be on the small map. Sometimes grenades even “come back”.
TheKoolKidsKlan: “Hahaha. YEAH!! Just the chaos on this map is so much fun, I mean… where else can you get hit by the same thermite grenade twice?”
Mallixx: “You die 18 times in a row and then the spawn changes and you yourself take someone out 18 times in a row. That’s a good compromise.”
DigestedBeans: “I love the chaos, I have to admit. When I play Shipment, I know the spawns are terrible, but that just makes it even more fun.”
The small crazy map is not for everyone, but many players celebrate the crazy gameplay. When there was no 24/7 rotation with small maps, many players went straight to protest.
Even though the mini-maps are well-received by some players, many are currently waiting for the release of the largest CoD map ever. The Battle Royale “Warzone” might go live soon, get all the info here:
These changes aim to revise the current weapon balance and could shake up the sandbox significantly. Bungie introduces how fusion rifles, shotguns, snipers, and automatic rifles will change. But three top exotics are also being addressed.
The perk “Outlaw” is swapped for “No Distractions”
The reload speed no longer affects the animation of “Honed Edge”
Bungie reports that the weapon has basically become standard in the endgame since the changes to auto-reload and the catalyst of Izanagi in the game. There is always enough ammunition, the best burst damage in the game, and you are also at a safe distance.
Lord of Wolves:The shotgun Lord of Wolves fires rapid volleys and can even switch between two modes. One fire mode is changing:
“Release the Wolves” now significantly reduces the weapon’s precision when active.
According to Bungie, the alternative fire mode has now become standard. Due to the changes to precision, the regular shot should be used more often, and “Release the Wolves” will become a close combat option for large enemies.
The type of target acquisition when firing from the hip has been adjusted to improve the experience.
Bungie wants to highlight the hipfire aspect of the cowboy-style revolver again. Especially on PC, the weapon has been dominant due to its ideal TTK and often fired with sights.
The Last Word – a masterpiece from Tex Mechanica and target of balance changes
This is how the weapon balance will change in March
Several weapon categories will also be worked on in the upcoming Season 10. Especially special weapons will be the focus of the adjustments. They are to be better coordinated with each other in the new sandbox.
The damage for large and stronger enemies was reduced to the values before Shadowkeep (~-20%).
The precision multiplier for adaptive sniper rifles was reduced from 3.25x to 2.95x.
The base impact of rapid-fire sniper rifles was reduced from 100 damage to 90 damage.
In many PvE activities, snipers have an advantage over close combat weapons due to damage and safety; this should be better balanced. Sniper rifles should also show noticeable differences between the various archetypes due to the changes.
What will happen to shotguns: A general problem with aim assistance is being fixed for shotguns:
The aim assist for non-bullet shotguns has been adjusted to no longer consider precision placements.
The angle of the cone now adjusts to the respective base of the sub-archetype instead of the range value.
The sight no longer adjusts the effective range for this weapon archetype.
Due to aim assist, shots aimed at the center of the body have been misdirected towards the head and thus missed. After this adjustment, further adjustments will be presented.
The Mindbender is one of the most popular shotguns
What happens with fusion rifles: The functionality of aim assist is also being revised for fusion rifles. The maximum range is also being adjusted:
The aim assist for fusion rifles has been adjusted to no longer consider precision placements.
Previously, aim assist could cause the player’s volley to deviate from the intended target vector and largely miss.
The damage drop for this weapon archetype is now limited to 0.5x (previously 0.75x).
The effective range and the influence of the optics stats (sights) for this weapon archetype have been generally reduced.
Highest time:
Highest time now adjusts the impact for the rapid-fire sub-archetype when active.
The reload time now adjusts to the rapid-fire sub-archetype (0.85) when active.
With these small adjustments, automatic weapons should have a better chance in PvP and step slightly out of the shadow of their semi-automatic competitors. You should also benefit from the changes in PvE.
Automatic rifles have rarely been seen in PvP since Year 1
These changes are still waiting for you in Season 10
The Nightfall will get tougher: In the PvE activity Nightfall, an additional difficulty level is to provide a new challenge. This will be called Pinnacle and is intended to “even bring the most competent guardians to their limits,” said the Destiny developer.
Bungie will later go into more detail about this change and other activities for PvE.
Furthermore, two more major revisions for the upcoming Season 10 have been announced:
What do you think of the extensive changes to weapon balance and nerfs? Are you looking forward to variety or are you already mourning your beloved firearms?
Want some “Hot Coffee” with Arthur? A sex mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently a thorn in Take-Two’s side. They don’t want this in their game.
What is this mod? The Hot Coffee mod in Red Dead Redemption 2 allows your cowboy to disappear with partners for a “hot coffee” in their room.
The description “Hot Coffee” comes from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and is a now-removed minigame. The main character CJ could accompany his dates to a “hot coffee” in the room and have sex there. This became known in 2005 when modders extracted this minigame from the code. However, the characters were clothed during the “act.” Still, it went viral. As PCGamer reports, San Andreas quickly received a new rating – from “Mature” to “Adults only,” which removed it from many shelves in America. Only through a patch that completely removed these contents was the rating restored.
What happened in RDR 2? For the cowboy game Red Dead Redemption 2, modders took specific assets like sounds and animations from the game’s code and simply designed their own Hot Coffee mod.
In the mod, you can approach certain NPCs in saloons, make them a clear offer, and then go to their room. You then see some animations and hear some moans.
However, it didn’t take long for Take-Two to intervene. In an email, representatives from Take-Two warned the two developers: If you do not remove the mod, we will take legal action. The end-user license agreement prohibits modifying software.
Furthermore, the code of conduct for online services “contains a prohibition for users to create, upload, or post material that is vulgar, obscene, sexually oriented, or inconsistent with community standards.”
The Take-Two representative emphasized that it’s the sexual content of the Hot Coffee mod that is the cause for concern.
What does the mod creator say? In an interview with PCGamesN.com, the mod creator “Unlosing” states that Take-Two really asked him to take the mod offline. However, he claims he is not violating any rules.
The mod does not contain nudity or nude models and uses only assets that are still in the game. The animations come from the drunk-in-the-bar mission with Lenny (which is still in the game), and the “moaning” sounds are just the noises the [characters] make when they are injured. They also mention “online services,” but this mod is only available for single-player.
What happens next? Unlosing says he does not yet know what will happen next. He does not plan to take the mod offline for now. In his opinion, that would be unfair (via PCGamesN).
Director Eli Roth is filming the movie based on the loot shooter series Borderlands. It seems that a very special film is in store for us.However, chaos ensued right at the announcement.
Who is Eli Roth? The director is mainly known for horror films such as Hostel, Cabin Fever, and Knock Knock. However, with The House with a Clock in Its Walls, he has also directed a film aimed at a younger audience.
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Now the tweet has officially appeared again. Should Randy Pitchford have perhaps waited with this announcement of the director?
What does Eli Roth plan for the Borderlands movie? Eli Roth explained that he wants to realize his own visions and ideas. Randy Pitchford from Borderlands developer Gearbox is supposed to support him in this.
I am excited to bring my own ideas and vision into the wild, fun, and infinitely creative world of the game. Randy Pitchford and everyone at Gearbox have very much supported my ideas – it really feels like a perfect storm of creators coming together. We want to create a new classic that the fans of the game will love, but that will also find a new audience worldwide.
Eli Roth, Director
Who is writing the script? The script comes from Craig Mazin, who is known for the series Chernobyl, but also for funny films like Scary Movie 3 and 4 as well as the last two Hangover parts.
Lilith allegedly plays the lead role in the Borderlands movie.
What kind of movie will this be?
What can we expect? It seems unlikely that we will get a horror film. According to Eli Roth’s statements, we can probably not expect a 1:1 adaptation of the game material. It seems that we will see something new that differs from the games.
Humor seems to play an important role, and with Craig Mazin, a suitable writer for the script has been found.
How can a Borderlands movie work? Implementing the multiplayer shooter Borderlands is certainly not easy. The comic-like graphic style of the games makes up a large part of the atmosphere. How this will be implemented in the film is still the big question.
Moreover, of course, the dark humor must fit and the excessive violence should also play a role without appearing tasteless.
What is the film about? An official plot has not yet been provided. However, in summer 2019, an alleged summary of the story surfaced. In it, Lilith is to be the heroine, although other well-known faces such as Claptrap also appear:
“The movie begins with Lilith in the Atlas Corporation’s space prison. There she has the chance to earn her freedom if she manages to rescue Tiny Tina, the daughter of the Atlas CEO, on the planet Pandora. The mission takes an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that the little girl is the key to opening a valuable alien vault that Atlas wants for itself.”
According to an alleged story summary of the Borderlands movie, Lilith must rescue Tiny Tina on Pandora.
Some remain skeptical about video game adaptations
What do players think about this film project? You can sense a certain skepticism in the community. This is due to the fact that not many video game adaptations have been really successful. Just think of the movies based on Assassin’s Creed, Doom, or Hitman. Nevertheless, there is interest in seeing a Borderlands movie.
xxBAshaggyxx says on reddit: “Eli Roth? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of his, but I don’t see him as the right man for something like Borderlands.”
Mr__Classy believes: “An animated series would be better.”
Aesorian writes: “I have always said a Borderlands movie could really work. They should just do it as a kind of apocalyptic Guardians of the Galaxy.”
When does the film premiere? Currently, there is no date for the theatrical release.
What do you think of Eli Roth as the director of the Borderlands movie?
To prepare for the film, you can play Borderlands 3. We tested the loot shooter for you:
In Apex Legends, the old map Kings Canyon is making a comeback. For many players, this is a clear response to Fortnite, which has seen a resurgence with the launch of Season 2.
This was announced by Respawn: The developers of Apex Legends shared a video of Kings Canyon on Twitter and revealed that the map from Season 1 will return.
Some players claim: Under Respawn’s Twitter post, there are some players who believe this is a quick and solid response to the major competitor Fortnite.
In the last 3 days, Fortnite gained nearly 20% new viewers. Source: Sullygnome
When is the old map coming back? Respawn only revealed that it should be available today, on February 21. They did not specify an exact time.
How long will the map stay? If you want to take advantage of Kings Canyon, you need to hurry. The map is only playable for a limited time, until February 24. You have all weekend to return to your old areas.
The map is expected to be playable through a separate playlist. You will be able to choose between the two maps.
Apex Legends is also considered a model in a certain concept. This was copied by numerous other shooters:
With Doom Eternal, shooter fans get the first promising new content for 2020. The latest installment of the popular series has a lot to offer – but many don’t even know that. How much do you already know about the new Doom? Participate in our survey.
Nevertheless, it seems to be flying under the radar for many players. We have found that many MeinMMO readers are interested in Doom Eternal, but they are not quite sure what to do with it.
What does Doom actually have to offer? Doom Eternal will, in the style of its predecessors, provide tons of encounters with demons, which usually end up bloody for the hellish inhabitants. As a player (or Doom Slayer), you have a plethora of weapons at your disposal – including chainsaws and flamethrowers.
Doom is famous for its bloody and action-packed scenes.
Although Doom is primarily known for its hard action, there is even a story that players praised in one of the new trailers. You are supposed to free Earth, as it has been taken over during your excursion to Mars. Time for some bullets to the face!
Unlike its predecessors, Doom Eternal does not offer a classic multiplayer mode that has delighted players since early days with its deathmatch. Instead, there is an asymmetrical PvP where two demons take on one Slayer.
One of the playable demons.
As a demon, you have various abilities at your disposal. You have various “classes” with different skills and can also summon minions. The Slayer, on the other hand, starts fully equipped, which compensates for the disadvantage of being outnumbered.
How well-informed are you about Doom Eternal?
Now it’s your turn: In our survey, we want to know from you how well you are keeping track of Doom Eternal. Are you always up to date and know all the info right after the release? Or do you only get what you happen to catch?
Doom Eternal will be released on March 20, 2020. If you want to pass the time until then with other shooters, you can find the best shooters of 2020 here:
The new Season 2 has started in Fortnite. This brought a new Battle Pass with skins. However, there are also some leaked skins that will soon be available in the shop. We show you an overview of all the skins of this season.
What are these skins? The outfits we present to you here are either included in the Season 2 Battle Pass or have been leaked by dataminers after the Update 12.00.
These are the new skins from the Battle Pass: In the pass, you will find 7 different outfits. You can unlock them by purchasing the Battle Pass, completing challenges, and leveling up.
Do you need tips to reach level 100 faster? In our guide, you will find tricks on how to level up quickly in Chapter 2.
The Season 2 starter pack seems to have already been found. The Iris pack contains:
A skin (with style variant)
A back accessory
A pickaxe
600 V-Bucks
This is what the starter pack looks like:
What does the pack cost? If you want the pack, you will probably need to pay the usual €4.99. Since the 600 V-Bucks in the pack are already worth €6, the pack is a real bargain at this price.
How can you sign up for the beta? To have a chance of accessing the beta of WoW Shadowlands, you need to visit the official Shadowlands website:
Make sure you are logged into the correct Battle.net account.
Scroll down and click the “Sign Up Now” button.
The button should then turn gray and you should see the message “Registration successful – Thank you! Your registration for the beta has been received” below it.
That’s it. You are now registered for the beta of WoW Shadowlands and just need a bit of luck.
This is what the beta registration looks like.
When does the beta start? There is not yet a specific date for the start of the beta. However, since the first alpha files are already available in the Battle.net launcher, the internal alpha is likely to start this week or next week. A closed beta for more participants typically follows just a few weeks later. We will report as soon as a specific date is known.
How will selection be made? It is not yet known what criteria Blizzard will use to allow players into the beta of WoW Shadowlands. In the past, there was a strong emphasis on different PC systems to cover and test a wide range of hardware. However, it is unlikely that it will follow a “first come, first served” principle. That was not the case back then either.
As soon as there are clear criteria from Blizzard for participation in the beta, we will update this article.
Ihr wollt mehr zum Spiel? Tolle Specials, heiße News und interessante Infos zu World of Warcraft findet ihr auch auf unserer WoW-Seite auf Facebook.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO, there could soon be changes to the system for earning coins. Data miners have found hints that you can soon earn premium currency through quests.
This was discovered: The data miners “Pokeminers” have noted several changes in the game files of Pokémon GO. Among them is also an innovation that points to a changed coin system.
So it may soon be the case that gyms are no longer the only way to obtain in-game currency. It could be possible to earn more coins each day than the previous 50.
Will there soon be coins from quests?
This says the text passage: The data miners base their statement on the following file: “daily_research_completed – Come back tomorrow to earn more PokéCoins”
It suggests that you can possibly complete a quest every day and could earn PokéCoins from it. However, how many coins and what these quests look like is not known.
Will there soon be PokéCoins from quests?
How could it be implemented? It could very well be that for daily field research, you will not only receive a stamp, but also a few coins.
You may need to complete a special quest daily for that.
More Safari Zones and new Rocket research
Giovanni is also returning in March: Some additional small innovations have been discovered by data miners. There will again be the Giovanni special research for March. This time it is literally translated into German as “The shadowy threat grows.”
3 more Safari Zones: Furthermore, information about 3 more Safari Zones supposed to take place in 2020 has been found. Several live events are already known, but the following 3 cities are also expected to have Safari Zones:
Monterrey (Mexico)
Seville (Spain)
Goyang (South Korea)
For all 3 cities, the same quest dialogues have been found as well as for Liverpool, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.
This year there seem to be 3 more Safari Zones
Medal for best buddy: This has already been discussed in the latest updates. This time, however, there is even more information about the medal for best buddy.
The medal, which honors you for having several best buddies, is expected to be implemented in the game soon.
Is a new Pokémon coming soon? The data miners found data on all forms of Deerling, which has a different form for each season.
All 4 forms for the seasons have now appeared in the files. So it could be released soon.
The friendship event is now also running in Pokémon GO. Here is all the information:
In GTA 5 Online you can now find the Progen PR4. In a few days you can buy it, but you can already win it now. How does that work?
What kind of car is this? The Progen PR4 has now been released for the first time in GTA Online. This brings great joy to the players, as they have been waiting since the leak from data mining to finally be able to sit in the cockpit of one of these speedy cars.
Data miners found two of the Formula cars that will soon be racing through the streets of Los Santos.
How can you win this? This week you have the chance to win the PR4 at the Casino in GTA Online. So head to the Diamond Casino & Resort building and walk over to the lucky wheel. If the spinner lands on the car field after the spin, the PR4 is yours. It’s that simple.
How often can you spin? The cooldown for the lucky wheel is 24 hours (in the real world). So you have to wait exactly one day before you can spin the lucky wheel again. Shortly after the casino’s release, players reported tricks to increase their chances.
Why is this car here now? Rockstar Games announced a new racing series that players can expect on February 20, 2020.
The Open-Wheel-Race-Series starts exactly one week after this announcement, on February 27, 2020.
When can you buy the Progen PR4? At the same time as the release of the new racing series, the PR4 will also be listed at the dealer Legendary Motorsport in the catalog. So you can buy it there regularly starting February 27.
How does this affect things? People are eagerly waiting for reports from the GTA professionals who will be speeding through the streets with the new car. How well do the race cars perform compared to the fastest cars in GTA Online? All of this will be clarified in the coming days.
You will most likely have to spend a lot of money for the race cars. Start saving with our money guide:
The anime MMORPG Blue Protocol will soon start with the first closed beta in Japan. There was a Q&A with the developers on February 20, where some exciting details about the content were revealed.
However, in a livestream, the developers presented new details and also answered questions from the community. It was particularly noteworthy that the MMO forgoes many contents in favor of PvE.
Screenshot of Blue Protocol
No PvP, no life skills, no housing
What contents does Blue Protocol forgo?On reddit, user MorpheusInPain translated the Japanese Q&A of the developers. If his translation is correct, some interesting information about the MMORPG was revealed:
There will likely be no PvP content. They do not want to force players into PvP, and there is a too large divide between PvP fans and players who do not like PvP.
Blue Protocol will forgo lifestyle content like housing and casinos.
There also seems to be little regarding life skills like fishing or other professions. While these “chill content” items are not excluded, according to the developers, the focus is on things related to the action combat system.
What can we expect instead? The focus of Blue Protocol should be on action-packed battles, dungeons, and raids. Each class takes on a specific role, but has access to self-healing like in GW2.
The story of the MMORPG revolves around traveling through time and space to change the future. This means that time travel apparently represents a central element.
The world of the game is divided into cities (for 200 players), instanced zones (for 30 players), and dungeons (for 6 players). It also uses a channel system in cities and zones, allowing players to move back and forth.
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What else is in the Q&A? The MMORPG will be free-to-play and is expected to have a shop with cosmetic content. Additionally, season passes are planned, but only with cosmetic and not gameplay content.
You can play Blue Protocol either with mouse and keyboard or with controllers. The game is expected to be limited to 1080p in favor of consoles.
It is also interesting that character names are limited to 12 characters and duplicate names are allowed. This could lead to some confusion.
Is Blue Protocol coming to Europe? Officially, it was said in the summer of 2019 that no western version of Blue Protocol was being planned. However, it was also mentioned that this could change at any time.
In Pokémon GO, the friendship weekend started early today, on February 21. We show you what is happening there and what bonuses await you.
How long does the friendship weekend last? The event started early today at 8 AM local time and will end on Monday, February 24 at 10 PM local time.
You have a whole weekend to cash in on bonuses related to your friends and to earn additional benefits.
Everything you need to know about the friendship weekend
What bonuses are there? It’s all about your friends, and you get special bonuses on almost all actions in this feature:
Friendship levels increase faster
Pokémon grant double the candies when traded
Trading Pokémon costs only half as much Stardust
You can open 40 gifts per day
You can carry 20 gifts at once
It is the best time to level up with your friends
So far, there is no information here: So far, Niantic has only revealed that the friendship level increases faster. How exactly “faster” is defined here is unclear.
In a comparable event, leveling worked twice as fast. This meant that with one interaction, you could increase the friendship level for two days.
This event is awesome for: If you still need experience points, you should make the most of this event. You get 100,000 XP for every Ultra Friend with a Lucky Egg and 200,000 XP for every Best Friend.
The friends feature is the best way to quickly gain XP, and that’s what you should take advantage of now.
In addition, you can open 40 gifts per day and carry 20 at once. This makes interacting with friends much better.
You can open up to 40 gifts per day during the event
Are there bonuses related to Pokémon? No special Pokémon or quests have been announced. That’s not a problem, as the Community Day for February will take place on Saturday.
There you will find Rhyhorn in the wild for 3 hours everywhere. This way, these spawns won’t interfere with any event spawns, and there will be no overlaps.
In time for Community Day, it is now known how strong Rhyperior will be with Rock Wrecker:
With an update on February 19 at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, an embarrassing bug slipped in. However, some players now suspect: That was not a bug at all, but a planned teaser for the release of the Battle Royale.
This is the bug in question: Since Season 2, players can join regiments to show their affiliation with a colored clan tag. However, this feature was briefly bugged.
As the tags are visible to everyone, the bug was quite embarrassing. It has now been fixed, and players can set their tags as intended.
Release of the Battle Royale hidden in the “bug”?
This is what players suspect: Some fans now believe that there was not a mistake, but a planned action behind the whole thing. When the bug was reported on Reddit, user Doggmatic– chimed in and said: “March 3, Trigga. Obviously the release of Warzone.”
Recently, a leak teased the size of the map. It is quite possible that there is something to this. Our readers here on MeinMMO also share a similar view. Under the article about the bug, there are several comments about it. Sasquatch for example writes:
Honestly… this is not a bug, but intentional… it is not random that everyone has a “3 3” in the clan tag… this is a hidden message and teases the Warzone mode for 03.03.20… that’s next Tuesday!
The fact that the bug has already been removed also seems no reason to dismiss the theory. After all, it could have been an effective “flash mob” that has reportedly been spoken about and discussed.
Similar teasers are also known from the competitor Fortnite, which Modern Warfare is currently seemingly aiming to challenge:
The MMORPG Black Desert is planning to introduce crossplay soon. However, not all players will likely be able to participate in cross-platform play.
This is how crossplay will work in Black Desert: According to the developers at Pearl Abyss, the well-performing sandbox MMO Black Desert will receive a crossplay feature in March 2020. However, this will not apply to the PC or mobile versions, but exclusively for Xbox One and PS4.
The prioritization of consoles may be due to the fact that the PC version is years ahead of them in terms of content. While Black Desert went online in its home country of South Korea in 2014 and has an advantage there, it only launched in the West in 2016. The console versions, on the other hand, were released in 2019 – first on Xbox One and later on PS4.
There are therefore several versions, all of which are not at the same level. The console versions appear to be close enough that crossplay is possible from the developers’ perspective. However, fans seem to have a different viewpoint.
First reactions critical: Is it too early?
This is what fans are saying: With the announcement, a teaser for crossplay was also released, which is unlisted on YouTube. There are not many reactions yet (so far 1048 views), but the comments are mostly critical. The reason: The difference between the versions.
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The sentiment: Crossplay is coming before the PS4 community is even on a comparable level. Both the lack of content and performance issues are addressed in the first comments.
“This will destroy the PS4 community. What were you thinking not giving the PS4 time to catch up? Boo, not cool,” says user SlimSumo
“PS4 needs content first, then it needs to function on the same level, and then they can publish crossplay… releasing crossplay now is a slap in the face to the PS4 community. Crossplay yes, but later,” says another user.
Furthermore, PS4 players do not have enough time to upgrade their gear to the same level – even if the missing content needed for balance were to come with the crossplay update.
Since its release, Apex Legends has captivated thousands of players, partly with new, innovative features. One of these has now even inspired one of the biggest shooters to copy it: Rainbow Six: Siege.
What is this feature? It is about the ping system, which has been celebrated as absolutely brilliant by many players since the release of Apex Legends. The feature allows contextual pings. This means you can give various warnings and messages to your team members, such as:
I am going there
I am watching this area
There is an enemy over there
Someone was here
I am looting there
The system was so good that Battle Royale competitor Fortnite quickly adopted it. The shooter Borderlands 3 also orients itself to this system for loot pinging. It really seems to be good enough that big shooters want to adopt it.
The system immensely facilitates playing with others, especially if one does not want to use voice chat for various reasons.
This is the change: In Rainbow Six: Siege, it is currently only possible to deliver a ping without context. The yellow marker does not say much, except that there is something apparently important for the player.
With the upcoming Ping 2.0 system, this is set to improve. It has already been shown that players will receive a contextual gadget ping, with which they can ping a single gadget permanently. This has been learned by PCGamer in an interview with game designer Jean-Baptiste Halle.
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This means, for example, that attackers can inform their team about the location of a trap using reconnaissance drones. A complete menu with contextual pings will follow later.
Such a system has already been demanded by fans in March 2019. Back then, Ubisoft stated that they were considering it. Now, the plan is slowly becoming a reality. The system is expected to come during Year 5.
In November 2019, Google Stadia was launched. How is the platform doing after a few months? Everything around games, tests, controllers and possible alternatives.
What is Google Stadia? Google Stadia is a cloud-based gaming platform from Google. This means you no longer have to download games. Instead, you play games directly through Google’s servers. You don’t need a console or a powerful computer to use Google Stadia, as everything runs on Google’s cloud.
In the following, we will introduce you to the streaming service Google Stadia. We will explain the following points:
Costs, requirements, and subscription models
Internet connection and latency
What games are available for Google Stadia?
Tests of Google Stadia
Who is Google Stadia suitable for?
Stadia Controller and general information about Stadia
Google Stadia – Costs, Subscription, Availability, Internet Connection
Google Stadia is Google’s new streaming service.
How much does Google Stadia cost?
As of November 19, Google Stadia is officially available. If you are interested in Google Stadia, you need to order the Premiere Edition from the official shop. The Founder’s Edition is now sold out. The Premiere Edition also costs 129 euros and includes the following:
a access code for Stadia Pro (3 months) for you and a friend (Buddy Pass)
Stadia Controller in Clearly White
a Google Chromecast Ultra
unlike the Founder’s Edition, the Premiere Edition does not provide a Stadia name for founders anymore
The Google Stadia Controller in Clearly White, which is included in the Premiere Edition.
After the sold-out Founder’s Edition, the Premiere Edition offers the official entry into Google Stadia. The Premiere Edition replaces the Founder’s Edition in Google’s shop.
Is the Founder’s/Premiere Edition worth it? We took a closer look at the pre-order package for you. We check which games you get for free and how much you actually save if you don’t need a 4K-capable gaming PC. We also explain what advantages a Chromecast Ultra actually has:
The paid Stadia Pro. 3 trial months are included in the Premiere Edition. After that, the monthly subscription Stadia Pro costs €9.99.
The free Stadia Base. Google has announced that this will be introduced during 2020 and that expiring Pro subscriptions will be converted to Base.
This is what the official presentation of the two models looks like
This is Stadia Pro: The Pro subscription costs €9.99. With Stadia Pro, there is a selection of free games that you have full access to as long as your subscription is active. Similar subscription models are known to us from Xbox as Game Pass and PlayStation with PlayStation Now. Additionally, you get discounted offers on games with Stadia Pro.
Games that you have purchased can still be used in the free version of Stadia Base – but only at a maximum resolution of 1080p and with stereo sound. If you want to play in 4K and surround sound, you need Stadia Pro – and also an internet connection with at least 35 Mbps.
This is Stadia Base: The free version Stadia Base is expected to be available during 2020. Games that you have purchased through Google Stadia can be played at any time with Stadia Base. However, with Stadia Base, only a maximum resolution of 1080p and stereo sound are possible.
Stadia Pro:
Stadia Base:
Available from
part of the Founder’s Edition
available from 2020
Resolution
up to 4K
up to 1080p
Frame Rate
60 FPS
60 FPS
Sound
5.1 Surround Sound
Stereo
Games can be purchased at any time
Yes
Yes
Free games are regularly released
Yes, starting with “Destiny 2: The Collection”
No
Exclusive Stadia Pro offers
Yes
No
How fast must the internet connection be?
Google Stadia is a cloud gaming service that requires a stable and fast internet connection:
If you want to use Google Stadia, you need at least 10 Mbps. This allows you to achieve a resolution of 720p.
For Full HD, you need at least 20 Mbps; Google even recommends a minimum bandwidth of 25 Mbps if you want to play smoothly in 1080p and 60fps.
For 4K resolution, you need at least 30 Mbps or more.
Using negative latency, Google aims to counteract input lag and latency in cloud gaming. Google calculates potential latency with this trick and tries to mitigate possible lags.
In which countries can I use Google Stadia?
Currently, Stadia is offered in the following countries:
USA (including Puerto Rico and Alaska)
Canada
United Kingdom
France
Italy
Germany
Spain
Sweden
Denmark
Norway
Finland
Belgium
Ireland
Netherlands
Why is this important? You can only use games and Google Stadia where Google Stadia is supported. If you go on vacation to Greece for two weeks, you won’t be able to use Google Stadia there.
On which devices does Google Stadia run?
Google Stadia currently supports the following devices and platforms:
The PC is supported
Mac is also supported
IOS with iPhone and iPad with the Stadia app from the App Store
In the smartphone sector, Google has since expanded support. Currently, Google Stadia supports the following smartphones:
Google: Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 4
Asus: the Asus ROG Phone, ROG Phone II
Razer: the Razer Phone and its successor Razer Phone II
The Stadia Controller is also supported on the mentioned devices. To use Stadia, you need the free Stadia app, which is available for free in Google’s PlayStore.
Google Stadia – Games and Crossplay
In this section, we explain which games are available for Google Stadia and whether crossplay is possible for certain games.
What games are available for Stadia?
Google briefly introduced its official lineup for Stadia shortly before release, triggering criticism that Stadia offers too few games. Therefore, the internet giant subsequently expanded the portfolio of its streaming service by adding ten more titles. Besides Destiny 2, Samurai Showdown is now also included for free in Stadia Pro.
The following games are currently available on Google Stadia (as of 18.02.20):
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Attack on Titan 2
Borderlands 3
Darksiders Genesis
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Destiny 2
Farming Simulator 19
Final Fantasy XV
Football Manager 2020
GRID
GYLT
Just Dance 2020
Kine
Metro Exodus
Monster Energy Supercross 3
Mortal Kombat 11
NBA 2K20
Rage 2
Red Dead Redemption 2
Samurai Shodown
Thumper
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Tomb Raider (2013)
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Trials Rising
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Are there exclusive games for Stadia?
Google has now also announced a number of exclusive titles or is already offering them. These include, among others:
Id Software states that the game should be further improved. They also promise new features, like the invasion mode, and Doom 64 should be released on all platforms.
Google Stadia and Destiny 2
Destiny 2 free on Stadia: Destiny 2 is free for all Stadia Pro subscribers. This includes all content that has been released so far: the base game, the Forsaken expansion, the next expansion Shadowkeep, and all DLCs that have been released in between.
Players can transfer their characters from Xbox One and PC to Stadia. However, crossplay between Steam, PlayStation, Xbox One, and Google Stadia is not possible.
For more information about Destiny 2, the Steam launch, crossplay, and Google Stadia, you will find in our article:
Does Google Stadia offer crossplay with other platforms?
Google Stadia does not offer crossplay. It has its own standalone system where you play with other Stadia players. In Destiny 2, for example, you can transfer your characters to Google Stadia.
As Gamestar notes, Borderlands 3 on Google Stadia is an outdated version (external link). This makes it particularly problematic to transfer save games from one platform to another; this same problem also applies to crossplay.
One of our readers pointed out that cloud saving works between Stadia and PlayStation.
What has changed since the release of Stadia?
Since the release in November 2019, a lot has changed with Stadia:
Google Stadia has increased its streaming library from 22 to 27 titles
6 more titles have been added to Stadia Pro, including GYLT and Metro Exodus in February 2020. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Samurai Shodown were removed at the end of January as free titles.
improved functions for Chromecast Ultra and support for more TVs
Wireless gameplay in the browser with Stadia Controller support
further features for Google Assistant
Support for more Android smartphones
Google Stadia – Steam, Battlenet, Uplay, and Co
Can I play my Steam games on Stadia?
Currently, external platforms like Steam, Origin, or Battlenet are not supported.
The reason is simple: If you want to play a game via Google Stadia, you either have to purchase the Stadia Pro subscription or buy the game through Stadia. You also cannot play Xbox games on PlayStation that you purchased in the Xbox Store.
Google Stadia – Hardware, Features, and Initial Tests
Google Stadia – The Hardware Behind the Cloud
This is what is provided to you: At 7500 locations, Intel x86 processors with 2.7 GHz clock speed with AVX2 and 9.5 megabytes L2 + L3 cache are available. Additionally, an AMD graphics processor with HBM2 memory, 56 compute units, and 10.7 teraFLOPS is in operation.
The data is stored on SSDs. Each system has a memory bandwidth of 484 gigabytes per second and 16 gigabytes of RAM.
How does Google Stadia work?
Google “lends” you computers: Google provides you with enough power to play top titles like Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or MMOs like Destiny 2 and The Elder Scrolls Online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-BbW6zAjL0
Google Stadia
You can play almost anywhere: With Google Stadia, you connect to Google’s server structure and stream your games in your web browser, on your smartphones, or using ChromeCast on your TV – you no longer need high-end hardware with Google Stadia. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux.
If you have already purchased games through Stadia, you will not even have to pay anything to play with Stadia Base starting in 2020. Google had announced that Stadia Base would be available during the year 2020.
Tests of Google Stadia
There are now a wealth of tests related to Google Stadia. We have summarized the first tests in our article for you.
Our author Jürgen has also been able to try Google Stadia at Gamescom 2019. Jürgen played Doom Eternal at Gamescom with the Stadia Controller.
Especially as a new father, Jürgen is interested in investing as little time as possible in updates and downloads, as he simply wants to play in his limited free time.
Whether he liked it and what his concerns are, you can read in his experience report on Google Stadia:
Who is Google Stadia suitable for?
Mac Users: Google Stadia could be especially interesting for Mac users. Many Mac devices are equipped with weak graphics cards and the number of available games is very limited. Stadia offers completely new possibilities here.
Users with weak hardware: If you don’t own powerful hardware but still want to play current titles, Google Stadia could simplify your gaming experience.
For example, if you only game at home with a notebook, you can easily stream games using Google Stadia through your browser or transmit them to your TV via Chromecast Ultra. The prerequisite is that you have a stable, fast internet connection, as you stream the game through Google’s servers.
If you have both a weak computer and a slow internet connection, Google Stadia offers no benefits.
Early Adopters/Enthusiasts: The Premier Edition offers enthusiasts the opportunity to be part of the launch with an extensive package. The Google Stadia Controller is particularly interesting here.
Console Players: If you own a console and have an Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Now subscription, Google Stadia is less interesting for you.
However, if you want to be independent of your console and play anywhere, then take a look at Google Stadia. The advantage is clear: for around ten euros a month, you can always use up-to-date hardware without needing to buy a new console every few years.
Alternatively, you could wait for the new Nex-Gen console from Sony: Sony has announced that cloud gaming and streaming will be important for the next generation. The catch: the new generation is expected to cost over €500.
Google Stadia – Controller, Chromecast, and Co
Do I need a Stadia Controller, can I use my old Chromecast, and are there alternatives? Below we want to clarify some basic things.
What is the Google Stadia Controller?
The Stadia Controller
What is the Stadia Controller? A Stadia Controller is already included in the Premier Edition for €129. The controller costs €69 separately and is available in Colors Clearly White, Just Black, and Wasabi. The Night Blue color was only available with the Founder’s Edition and is now sold out. The Premiere Edition offers the controller in Clearly White.
This is what the controller offers: The controller features two analog sticks, four buttons, and four shoulder buttons. Gyro sensors are not included. The battery life is said to be similar to the competition. If you want to use the Stadia Controller wirelessly, you will need a Chromecast Ultra at the start of Google Stadia.
How well the controller performs and whether it’s worth buying the Stadia Controller, we have summarized here for you:
Stadia Controller does not provide access: Purchasing a separate controller only makes sense if you pre-ordered the Founder’s or Premiere Edition or have a Buddy Pass. With the Stadia Controller alone, you cannot access Google Stadia!
Colors
Clearly White Just Black Night Blue (only available in the Founder’s Edition) Wasabi
3.5 mm headphone jack for headphones with or without microphone
USB
USB-C port for charging, connecting cables or accessories
like USB-C headsets
Weight
268 g
Dimensions
163 mm x 105 mm x 65 mm
Battery
Integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Special features
Assistant button and microphone
Button for Google Assistant to
activate the built-in microphone
Recording button
Quick access to image and video recording function
Price
69 euros
Is my Xbox/PlayStation controller compatible with Google Stadia?
According to Google, you can use all common controllers with Google Stadia when playing in the browser or on mobile devices. However, if you want to play on your TV, you will need the Stadia Controller and Google Chromecast Ultra.
Is my Chromecast device compatible with Stadia?
The Chromecast Ultra is the only device compatible with Google Stadia
At the launch of Google Stadia, only Google Stadia Chromecast Ultra is compatible with Stadia. If you still have an old Chromecast device, such as the third generation (2018), you will need to be patient and hope that Google expands its compatibility.
Google Stadia and Family Sharing?
Google Stadia is also said to offer family features. This includes, for example, an age rating. Parents can restrict certain titles for their children.
However, the family features are expected to be available only from the next year.
Is Stadia a Netflix for Gamers?
Currently, there is only one title available for free via Google Stadia Pro, and that is Destiny 2. The subscription costs for Google Stadia Pro are primarily intended for the use of hardware that you no longer need to own. There is no game flat rate like Microsoft offers with Game Pass. Why Google Stadia is not a Netflix for gamers, you can read in our article:
If you are interested in a gaming flat rate, you should take a look at Microsoft’s Game Pass, EA Access, or Uplay Plus. Here you pay a fixed amount and have access to a large number of games.
Google Stadia’s head wants to know what users want
John Justice, the head of Google Stadia, wants to know what users desire from Google Stadia. A user posted the survey on Reddit. So far, around 13,000 people have voted.
What interests people in particular, what they have voted for so far, and how to participate, we explain in our article:
Google Stadia is expected to be supported by Android TV from 2020. This is at least suggested by a post by xda-developers.
Xda-developers are not allowed to show images from the International Broadcasting Convention. However, the roadmap outlines Google’s future plans with Android. The roadmap states under Android 11 R/2020 “Stadia integration”.
The roadmap from the blog entry at xda-developers. Source: xda-developers
That’s why Android TV is so interesting: Android TV is nowadays installed in many media players and smart TVs. With the integration of Google Stadia, many new possibilities arise, such as access to the Playstore.
Google Stadia – Alternatives in Cloud Gaming
What alternatives are there to Google Stadia? In the following, we will explain the best-known alternatives.
Nvidia GeForce Now – Differences from Stadia
Geforce Now – Nvidia’s streaming service
What is the difference from Stadia? A similar idea lies behind GeForce Now: You stream games via a server and do not need high-end hardware. For GeForce Now, however, you need your own Steam, Uplay, or Origin account and must link it with the Nvidia service.
However, GeForce Now must also support your game for you to use it through GeForce Now.
That’s why GeForce Now is interesting: You stream your own purchased games and do not buy games like with Google Stadia. If you have a large library on Steam or other platforms, then GeForce Now might be more interesting for you.
Shadow – Differences from Stadia
Shadow is also a cloud provider. With Shadow, you stream not just individual games but a complete PC, on which you can also use other programs.
What is the difference from Stadia? The cloud service Shadow also offers a cloud service like Google Stadia. In contrast to Stadia, you stream a complete PC, on which you can also use Steam, Origin, and co. using other software such as rendering programs is also possible.
If you want to play games with Shadow, you must have already purchased them on Steam, Uplay, and co.
That’s why Shadow is interesting: You stream your own purchased games like with GeForce Now and do not buy games like with Google Stadia. If you have a large library on Steam or use resource-intensive software like rendering, then GeForce Now may be interesting for you.
Google Stadia vs. Sony PlayStation 5
Sony has announced that cloud gaming and streaming will play an important role in the new console. This includes Remote Play and PlayStation Now.
The price of the new console could be over €500. While further info about PlayStation 5 is still awaited.
If you are interested in Sony’s next-gen console? In our hub, we have summarized all the information for you:
