Google has officially opened up their kimono and unveiled details of their game streaming service Shazam. The next generation of gaming is getting interesting.

Google bills the service as revolutionary gaming platform which users can play AAA video games across all kinds of screens, without the need of a dedicated console, physical media, or even downloading a game. If you have a device that has the Chrome browser, you can stream Stadia games.

Google promises that the Stadia service will stream games in 4K resolutions at 60 frames per second in HDR with surround sound if you have an internet connection over a 25 Mbps. If your connection is slower, Stadia will decrease resolution or FPS to compensate.

Users can use third party wired controllers, but Google will also be releasing a dedicate controller to accompany Stadia. The controller connects directly to the data center hosting the game rather than your local device. Google claims this improve performance. I reckon the idea is that this is one less relay point, to avoid the dreaded input lag that has existed in previous attempts to stream games from a data center (cough, PlayStation Now, cough).

Of course, the Google Stadia is going to be a direct competitor to gaming stalwarts like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

Microsoft has already tipped their hand that they are looking to a future of cloud gaming with Project xCloud. Microsoft is envisioning a future where you have dedicated hardware at home for gaming with uncompromising performance, but giving gamers the option to game from anywhere on the cloud via a web connection and mobile device, like an iPad or iPhone.

A leaked internal memo from Xbox boss Phil Spencer indicates that things may get very interesting come summer time, as he attempts to rally the troops.

“We just wrapped up watching the Google announcement of Stadia as team here at GDC. Their announcement is validation of the path we embarked on two years ago..

Today we saw a big tech competitor enter the gaming market, and frame the necessary ingredients for success as Content, Community and Cloud. There were no big surprises in their announcement although I was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the use of Google Assistant and the new WiFi controller.

But I want get back to us, there has been really good work to get us to the position where we are poised to compete for 2 billion gamers across the planet. Google went big today and we have a couple of months until E3 when we will go big.

We have to stay agile and continue to build with our customer at the center. We have the content, community, cloud team and strategy, and as I’ve been saying for a while, it’s all about execution. This is even more true today.

Energizing times.

Phil”

E3 may very well turn out to be interesting this year. Who doesn’t love watching two big tech behemoths get into a massive pissing match?