Google Stadia Coming To Android TV

The Google Stadia video game streaming service is set to come to the Android TV platform.

At the Game Developer Conference earlier this year, Google announced its ambitious cloud gaming service that’s cross-platform and really low-latency. At launch, you’ll be able to stream nearly 40 games at up to 4K@60 from Google’s cloud servers to 2018 or 2019 Pixel smartphones, the Google Chrome browser, or the Chromecast Ultra, though Google plans to expand support to more Android smartphones and Android TV.

Android TV roadmap in 2020 and 2021

At the International Broadcasting Convention, Google unveiled its roadmap for Android TV in 2020 and 2021. In synthesis is the following:

• Android 11 R/2020
  • Assistant for Operators GA more partners & i18n.
  • Assistant farfield reference designs, improved x-device targeting.
  • Hero device advancing next-gen smart home UX, e.g. Lens, Camera.
  • Expand home screen and instream ads offering.
  • Stadia integration.
  • Reference video broadcast.
  • 8.0k Apps.

• Android 12 S/2021 & beyond
  • Assistant for Operators: continuously improve quality, i18n and operator integrations.
  • Hero device program advancing next-generation.
  • Continue to lower TTM/TCO & expand monetization options.
  • Less fragmentation in HW + SW solutions, fewer builds.
  • Hold the line on memory & power, critical user journeys.
  • Continuous performance monitoring of production devices.
  • 8.0-10k Apps.

So Stadia is confirmed for Android TV too and to come to think of the Nvidia Shield TV 2019 that is expected to hit the markets soon, it all makes sense! Stadia for the Android 11 OS launch in 2020. On the current Android 10 platform instead Stadia launches in November 2019. I hope that this doesn’t change Nvidia’s plans and postpones the launch of the new Shield TV for 2020.

Bad news also is that the same TV OS update is set to “expand home screen and instream ads offering”. So more advertisements is the price to pay for convenient gaming streams. Let’s hope in a better way than the previously ad showing on some Sony TVs some months earlier this year.

More Than 10 Thousands Apps in 2021

And if you are wondering about the 8.0k Apps and 10k Apps, that is not a new resolution standard, that is Google’s prediction of the total amount of the apps that should be available on the Android TV Play Store. So that is also a very exciting move too.