Google has been utilizing a codec called AOMedia Video 1, or AV1 for a few years now in order to reduce the bandwidth needed to stream video content from their services so that users with less bandwidth can benefit from them without reduced picture quality. AV1 has already been built into Youtube, … [Read more...] about Stadia will soon use less data thanks to AV1 compression codec, but these other Google services will too
Gaming
As Chrome OS has evolved, the gaming scene has come along with it. With game streaming, web games, Android games, and upcoming Steam game support, Chromebooks are becoming a go-to place for casual gamers. As it evolves, we're tracking along with that development and you can see it all here on Chrome Unboxed.
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State Share for captures, a Pro trial without a payment method, and more coming soon to Stadia
An APK insights report by 9to5Google reveals several new and interesting tidbits in version 2.42 of the Stadia app. The ability to pair a Dualshock 4 Playstation controller or Microsoft's Official and Adaptive Xbox controllers via Bluetooth or USB on Android and more strings related to the incoming … [Read more...] about State Share for captures, a Pro trial without a payment method, and more coming soon to Stadia
Far Cry 5 and New Dawn are now available on the Stadia Store with heavy discounts for Pro subscribers
Thanks to a recent blog post by Ubisoft, we recently learned that their popular Uplay+ service would be headed to Google Stadia before the end of the year as Ubisoft Plus. With it, several of their games are due to hit the service for download. As of now, we're still waiting for Watch Dogs 1 and 2, … [Read more...] about Far Cry 5 and New Dawn are now available on the Stadia Store with heavy discounts for Pro subscribers
[Update: Claim now] Stadia gives away six more Pro games, releases two big titles on their store and more
The Stadia team doesn't seem to know the meaning of 'quit' and it's filling me with joy months before Christmas. They got quite a bit of scrutiny for a certain Twitter mishap that we won't keep talking about, and according to many, they were slow to roll out lots of promised features, but it seems … [Read more...] about [Update: Claim now] Stadia gives away six more Pro games, releases two big titles on their store and more
Deal Alert: Play Blair Witch for free with GeForce NOW on your Chromebook this Halloween
There are a lot of great deals going around right now to get people into the Halloween spirit. You can still grab the Nightfire audio horror short stories via Google Play Books and there are several haunting movie deals available to you from $4.99 too. You can also do spooky stuff with Google … [Read more...] about Deal Alert: Play Blair Witch for free with GeForce NOW on your Chromebook this Halloween
Boom Slingers – Battle Cards is a ridiculously fun time sink full of nostalgia
Don't let this simple, cute looking game deceive you - it's actually a really fun and quirky time sink that I stumbled upon completely by accident. I was browsing the Play Store on my Lenovo Chromebook Duet (totally not a shameless plug, right?) when I came across it in the Early Access section. … [Read more...] about Boom Slingers – Battle Cards is a ridiculously fun time sink full of nostalgia
Teach your kids the basics of programming on their Chromebooks with Rabbids Coding
Learning to code on a Chromebook is an often under-appreciated activity. Google's laptops can be nice little devices for sinking time into the craft as they're lightweight and have long battery life. While you or your kids may not be spending hours looking at lines of code at a Starbucks, they may … [Read more...] about Teach your kids the basics of programming on their Chromebooks with Rabbids Coding
Stadia to receive UPlay+ as Ubisoft Plus by end of year with new Ubisoft Connect service
We've been waiting for quite some time to hear word of Ubisoft's popular UPlay+ service coming to Stadia, but with each passing event, Google left us high and dry for information. We knew that Ubisoft already had plans to launch it on Stadia and Amazon Luna before the year's end, but they were vague … [Read more...] about Stadia to receive UPlay+ as Ubisoft Plus by end of year with new Ubisoft Connect service
[Update: Delayed] Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Stadia on the same day as PC and consoles
Update: Cyberpunk 2077 delayed to December 10, 2020. The game will still launch on Stadia alongside other consoles, because the game was delayed across the board. The delay is an additional 21 days. Update: A Reddit user by the name of Alex_03003 has found an exclusive Stadia Pre-order Easter egg … [Read more...] about [Update: Delayed] Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Stadia on the same day as PC and consoles
New referral program gives you a free month of Stadia Pro under one condition
In just under a month, Stadia will be a year old. In that year, they've made lots of improvements and released tons of features and games. Aside from their unwanted attention last week, I would say they're doing alright for being new to the game. Most of what people don't like about the cloud gaming … [Read more...] about New referral program gives you a free month of Stadia Pro under one condition
Your Google Play Pass deals include 20 new games – Through the Darkest of Times and more
Google has continually increased the value proposition of its app and game subscription service and it's only over these past few months that I've been more excited about it. Google Play Pass offers you over 500 apps and games in an ad-free experience for each entry. It even bundles in all … [Read more...] about Your Google Play Pass deals include 20 new games – Through the Darkest of Times and more
PUBG Mobile shows app developers are starting to take Chromebooks more seriously
It's no secret that we like to take part in a bit of pew-pew action here at the Chrome Unboxed office via games like PUBG Mobile during our daily lunch breaks. We look at it as a sort of team building exercise where strategy, teamwork, and skill all deftly mix to deliver the prized win: a chicken … [Read more...] about PUBG Mobile shows app developers are starting to take Chromebooks more seriously
