At the end of every month, Google shares an update about the new features that are added to Stadia, and in August, the service started testing touch controls, a new explore tab and more.
The most exciting update is the new direct touch controls which are only available in the new game HumanKind. This game plays out much like a Sid Meiers Civilization game, so it’s ripe for touch controls. These touch controls are more like a mobile game which is neat to see since this is an actual PC/console game. This means you can swipe around the map and pinch to zoom without using a digital joystick or buttons meant to replicate a controller.
These controls are available on Android and will come to iOS soon. This is interesting since it illustrates that for some games, mobile game-styled controls might work best, even if the game wants to push high-end console-level graphics. I hope more games come out with similar touch-focused controls on game streaming services like Stadia since it can make gaming on the go more convenient. This won’t really work for all games, but titles like HumanKind or slower-paced building games like Planet Coaster or Stardew Valley could also benefit.
Other Stadia updates include a new Explore tab on mobile to make it easier for users to share their game captures and read Stadia news.
The final feature is a smaller one, but Stadia finally made it possible for people to change their usernames on the Web.
Source: Google
