This story was originally published and last updated .
If you’ve been on the fence about joining Stadia Pro and going full-bore on streaming video games, your opportunity for an extended test drive is whittling down. Google already announced that it will reduce free trials from 2 months down to one starting June 3, so now it’s really time to use it or lose it.
Back on April 8, Google soft-launched Stadia’s free tier and simultaneously brought about 2-month trials for Stadia Pro, which brings 4K streaming with 5.1 surround sound plus freebies and discounts on game purchases for $10 a month. At the time, those who wanted to get into the free tier — which limits streams to 1080p — had to join the Pro trial, then cancel out of it, and wait for the trial to lapse.
Stadia (and the free trials) was made available in 14 countries:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- France
- Italy
- Germany
- Spain
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Norway
- Finland
- Belgium
- Ireland
- Netherlands
The big push happened the same time the global coronavirus pandemic was developing. As the company expected heavy traffic, Stadia was set to stream at a default resolution of 1080p for all users, though higher resolutions were available on an opt-in basis. Google also rewarded its first Stadia Pro subscribers who purchased a Founder’s Edition kit by covering their subscription for two months.
Whether you end up starting a 2-month free trial before June 3 or a 1-month free trial after that date, you should be aware as Google explains that you won’t have access to any Pro content you’ve claimed when your dry run’s over, but you won’t lose access to the games and any respective add-ons you’ve purchased in that time.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that T-Mobile is offering its own 3-month Stadia Pro trial, but that deal is incompatible with Google’s own trials. Obviously, if you’re an eligible T-Mobile subscriber, this is going to be the way to go.
We at Android Police like Stadia, but it does have its drawbacks, so it’s not for everyone.
Reporting contributed by Jules Wang and Ryan Whitwam.
