Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Since its launch, the ability to stream live gameplay to Youtube from Google Stadia was capped at 1080p at 60 frames per second resolution. Now, according to a Twitter user by the name of Nohinn, livestreaming is receiving more options!
In the tweet, Nohinn displays their resolution options and they include 1440p at 60fps, while another user on Youtube has streamed a gameplay session of Red Dead Redemption at 2160p at 60fps (that’s 4K resolution). So far, it looks as though the available quality that can be toggled depends largely on the game, and there has yet to be an official announcement on this.
We’re likely to see this feature appear on the next “This Week on Stadia” since it was recently moved to a bi-weekly cadence. It took Google’s game streaming platform a whole year to add livestreaming, to begin with, and another year to increase its quality, but despite this, I believe that it’s making excellent strides for users, albeit a bit slower than some would expect.
To try viewing the above stream in 4K for yourself, simply hit play, go to the cogwheel icon at the bottom-right of the video, and choose “Quality”, and then select the top option, which has a small, red “4K” indicator. My guess is that streaming in 4K will be a Stadia Pro feature, just as playing in 4K is right now. It would provide another reason for gamers to upgrade, in addition to the other benefits like free games, discounts, and more!
Now let’s hear from you – is a much higher livestreaming quality important to you as a gamer or even as a streamer or are you just satisfied with sending your gameplay over to Youtube at whatever resolution is available? I imagine that this will be more vital for those who stream often and have amassed an audience. Of course, Google is hoping to make cloud gaming on its video platform a core part of things, so seeing this feature finally added is still exciting.
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.

