It's easy to get bored, sheltering in place, or worse, being confined to one room in your home under quarantine. I've played my fair share of video games over the past few days and, I'm sure that many of y'all have been getting down with a bit of pew-pew, too.
However, don't already own a gaming console or a computer with a decent video card, you might be shit out of luck: the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One are all reportedly becoming harder to find in stores and online. If you're having trouble nailing down a gaming system to blow away the hours with, Google announced today that they have a new offer to see you through the dull times.
From The Verge:
Google is launching the free version of its Stadia game streaming service today. Anyone with a Gmail address can sign up, and Google is even providing a free two-month trial of Stadia Pro as part of the launch. It comes just two months after Google promised a free tier was imminent, and it will mean anyone can get access to nine titles, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, and Thumper, free of charge.
Google is also making some changes to Stadia to accommodate the influx of new users. "To reduce load on the internet further, we're working toward a temporary feature that changes the default screen resolution from 4k to 1080p," explains Phil Harrison, Google's Stadia chief. "The vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won't notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your data usage options in the Stadia app."
If you're already paying a premium to access Stadia, there's no need to get all salty over newbies getting free playtime. According to The Verge, existing Stadia Premium users will also be getting two months of free service.
It's a sweet deal: Just be sure that your current Internet plan can accommodate all of the data that an online game service demands before signing up.
Image via Google
