Google Stadia news: Hitman 3 launches on Google Stadia with State Share! Plus free games, Stadia price, Stadia controllers, devices and more!


IO Interactive's Hitman 3has now released onto Stadia, alongside a first look at Google Stadia's innovative State Share technology.

According to Google's blog post, State Share "lets you capture a playable slice of the game itself and share it with friends", making it the natural step up from sharing screenshots or gameplay clips.

One of the first games to implement State Share is Hitman 3, albeit in a more restricted mode. Hitman's State Share does not allow players to jump into gameplay mid-level, but rather lets players share starting points and equipment set-ups, making challenging friends to levels much easier.

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Challenge your friends to solving the Thornbridge Mystery faster than you can!

Players can capture a State Share via taking a screenshot of Hitman 3 in a desktop browser mode. The screenshot will then generate a URL which can be shared with friends or a wider community.

Hitman 3 is the finale of IOI's World of Assassination Trilogy. Aside from offering a satisfying conclusion to the Trilogy, you can playlevels from both Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 via Hitman 3 so long as you own the two predecessors, which are both available via Google Stadia.

READ MORE: Hitman 3: How to transfer save progress from Hitman 1 and 2!

Keep reading for all the latest on Google Stadia, as well as everything you need to get started with the streaming service...

More Stadia News: What is Stadia's Project Hailstorm?

A recent APK dive by9to5Google has got fans excited over the unknown 'Project Hailstorm' referred to in the files.

In 9to5Google's 'APK Insight', the outlet decompiled the latest 2.52 update to the Android version of Google Stadia. In the code, the site found multiple references to Project Hailstorm.

"A Hailstorm is coming soon," one line read. "Introducing Project Hailstorm from Stadia," another section said.

The 'Project' naming has been used in the past by multiple gaming companies to hide the name for their huge projects. Project Scorpio, Project Scarlett and Project Lockhart were the names for the Xbox One X, Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, respectively. Stadia was also previously working under the name Project Stream.

As spotted by PC Gamer, a Reddit poll in r/Stadia has detailed the Stadia communities predictions for what Project Hailstorm could be.

Of the six options available in the poll, fans have predicted Project Hailstorm could be a Google Stadia server update that introduces ray tracing to the streaming platform. Other options suggest it could be a feature as large as Stadia VR or massive multiplayer functionality, or something as small as a Search Bar.

As pointed out in the comments, Hailstorm technology is used by Netflix as a scaling program for Android TV, allowing the company to integrate Netflix on the platform quicker.

If Project Hailstorm is using similar technology, this could be the confirmation that Google Stadia is finally seeing full integration into the Android TV infrastructure.

Other comments suggest 'Hailstorm' might not be a new feature as much as a marketing push for a hailstorm of new games coming to the Google Stadia platform.

We just want Football Manager 21.

READ MORE: REVEALED: Blacknut Streaming Service ready to take on Google Stadia

F1 2020 and Hotline Miami free for Stadia Pro members from January!

Stadia Pro members can play F1 2020 and Hotline Miami for free from 1 January 2021 as part of the Pro subscription service.

In the latest 'This Week on Stadia' post, Google announced its next batch of free games for Stadia Pro members, which also includes Figment and Ary and the Secret of Seasons.

F1 2020 and Hotline Miami are both highly rated games, boasting Metacritic scores of 88 and 85, respectively.

As with every monthly Stadia update, older Stadia games have now left leave the Stadia Pro service. December 31 was the last day Stadia Pro members can claim Celeste, Dead by Daylight, Embr, GYLT, Risk of Rain II and Rock of Ages III.

Stadia Pro members also had until January 1 to use their free $10 voucher to be used on Google Stadia games.

READ MORE: Henry Cavill teases MORE hot and heavy PC-building action with new Instagram post

Cyberpunk 2077 is struggling to run above 1080p due to overloaded servers!

Google Stadia users have reported being unable to stream Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K following the games release, instead being forced to play in 1080p.

As reported by Mobile Syrup, the release of such a huge game may have impacted Google's servers, with Google telling the website that these connectivity issues may arise "during times of extraordinarily high usage".

A Stadia Community forum user has suggested that this issue is more regional than anything, meaning that relaunching Cyberpunk 2077 using a VPN could resolve the 4K problem for Stadia members.

4K streaming is a perk available as part of the Stadia Pro subscription, with base Stadia members only gaining access to 1080p streaming.

This is the latest issue to hit Cyberpunk 2077 following its release, although most of the issues arising have stemmed from its console version rather than the PC and Stadia version. The Stadia version has had its issues, however, stemming from Google's crash last week...

READ MORE: Cyberpunk 2077 refund: How to get your money back on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC or Google Stadia

New Google Stadia Games

Google Stadia is constantly bolstering its library of games available on the platform. You can check out the full list of Google Stadia Pro games here, but in terms of recent additions, Stadia has added the following games for Stadia Pro subscribers:

  • Sniper Elite 4
  • Risk of Rain 2
  • The Gardens Between
  • Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek 
  • Republique
  • Sundered: Eldritch Edition

Aside from these free titles, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Watch Dogs Legion, Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Just Dance 2021 are now also available to buy from Google Stadia's store.

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Ubisoft has been a huge supporter of Google Stadia

In the future, games like Ark: Survival Evolved and Far Cry 6 will be made available on the platform, and we'll keep you updated on any new developments.

READ MORE: HUGE upgrade for Google Stadia and Amazon Luna

Google Stadia price: What membership options are available for Google Stadia?

Google Stadia has two membership options: Stadia Pro and the base Stadia membership.

Stadia Pro is Google's premium subscription service, costing £8.99/$9.99 per month, offering its subscribers free games each month alongside 4K HDR streaming. Stadia Pro members still have to pay for most titles available on the service, like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, for example.

The alternative membership, previously known as Stadia Base, is a free membership that doesn't have the benefits of Stadia Pro. You can still buy the games available on the service, although you will be limited to 1080p streaming. If you have this membership, you'll be able to access a one month trial of Stadia Pro, which will then start charging you after the trial period.

If you want the full Google Stadia experience, the Stadia Premiere bundle, which acts as a starter pack for Stadia, is available for £89.99/$99.99. This bundle includes a Chromecast Ultra and a white Google Stadia controller.

READ MORE: Amazon Luna cloud streaming revealed

Google Stadia controller

Google Stadia's controller, originally shown off in white, is now available in three colours: Clearly White, Just Black, and Wasabi. All three variants cost £59 when bought from Google.

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The Stadia controller uses a USB-C port for charging alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack. The controller connects directly to Google's gaming data centres, ensuring that you get the most precise control possible, with minimal input lag.

If you don't want to splash out on a Google Stadia controller, it's also worth noting that other controllers will work when playing Stadia on your mobile or PC. The DualShock 4, Xbox One controller, Xbox 360 controller and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller are all compatible. You can see the full controller breakdown here.

READ MORE: Amazon Luna controller vs Google Stadia controller: What are the differences?

Google Stadia devices

Google Stadia works on PC and Mac devices through the Google Chrome browser. If you use a Chromecast Ultra, such as the one included in the Premiere bundle, you'll gain access to Stadia on the TV, with further TV support coming soon.

Stadia is available on Android devices through the Google Play Store application, although many phones are still listed in the 'Experiment' mode, meaning you might run into a few bugs while playing.

iOS devices now also support Google Stadia via web browser.

READ MORE: Which phones support Google Stadia?

Google Stadia requirements

Google Stadia recommends a minimum internet speed of 10Mb/s for streaming, which will likely lead to games running in 720p at 60fps. If you want to make use of your Stadia Pro membership and run games in 4K with HDR, Google recommends you have an internet speed of 35Mb/s.

You can check your internet connection for Google Stadia through Google's own testing site here.

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Aside from good internet, you'll need to be in one of the following countries if you want to use Google Stadia: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States.

READ MORE: How to cancel Stadia Pro: Do you get to keep Stadia Pro games if you cancel?

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