When Google launched its Stadia game streaming service last year, the promise was that you’d be able to stream games to a Chromecast, web browser, or supported Android phone. But Google’s Stadia Controller wireless game controller was only compatible with Chromecast devices at launch.

In May Google finally added support for using a Stadia Controller wirelessly with a PC when streaming games through a web browser.

And now the Stadia Controller can also be used as a wireless controller for Android devices.

In order to use a Stadia Controller wirelessly with an Android phone both devices will need to be connected to the same WiFi network, and you’ll need the latest version of the Stadia app on your phone.

You’ll also need a phone that supports Stadia. That includes most recent models from Google, Samsung, and OnePlus as well as the Asus ROG Phone and Razer Phone line of gaming phones. But if you have anything else, you’re out of luck for now.

The Stadia Controller normally sells for $69, but Google is selling it for 10-percent off until July 2nd.

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5 replies on “Google’s Stadia Controller now works with Android devices”

  1. True, but maybe he was talking about latency on the device. For example, playing Fortnite Mobile. I know Wifi has a much higher Max Transfer Rate compared to Bluetooth, but that says nothing about the latency/response rate.

    Personally, I think Wifi is superior on latency. I say that because the 2015 Nvidia Shield TV launched with a WiFi Controller which had excellent response rates. Then they phased that out with the refreshed models, and the new controller was using Bluetooth instead, and people tested that the response rates became a little below average.

  2. What are talking about? Bluetooth have tranfer rate of 25 mbps and Wifi has a transfer rate of 450 mbps+. So Wifi connected device will have far less input lag than any bluetooth device.

    1. Bandwidth and latency are two very different things. You can have high bandwidth with terrible latency. In this case, I think Wifi is better, but not because 450 > 25. My experience with bluetooth mice, keyboards, etc., is that they are laggy. Bluetooth is good for playing music or maintaining a connection to a wearable and it’s tolerable for a keyboard, but not so good for anything that needs immediate response like a mouse or game controller.

  3. The controllers are wifi connected so that the controller connects to and thus sends inputs to the stadia sever directly, without the latency caused by sending the input to the device displaying the video stream and then to the server. It’s theoretically supposed to reduce input lag compared to other forms of remote play.
    …If you’ve got a really good router.
    Anyone talking about input lag in regards to stadia already talked about it when stadia launched and probably didn’t get a subscription anyway, and anyone with a stadia subscription is going to be defending their decision for a while, so you might see less going forward than maybe you expect.

  4. Wow i didn’t know these controllers were Wifi connected. I wonder how much people will moan about input lag. I dont think I would be interested in one of these at all. When you combine the input lag involved with streaming the game to begin with, to a wifi controller connected to a router (potentially across your house), it sounds questionable. But I’d have to test it to judge for sure.

    Personally, I have several games that I cannot play with my bluetooth connected Xbox One controller, I have to plug it in with USB.

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