Key Takeaways
- Google has extended the deadline to convert Stadia controllers to Bluetooth mode until December 31, 2025.
- The process to switch the controller to Bluetooth is simple and irreversible, but worth it since Stadia is no longer supported.
- Stadia’s dedicated controller carries the legacy of Google’s cloud gaming service forward.
Remember Stadia? Google’s cloud gaming service, which it abruptly shuttered in early 2023? Back then, the company gave Stadia users until the end of the year to convert their Wi-Fi Stadia controllers into Bluetooth ones. Then, towards the end of the year, with less than two weeks left for the deadline to expire, the company changed its mind and gave Stadia users another year to save their controller from death. Almost a year later, the company has silently extended the deadline by another year, until December 31, 2025.
When Google announced Stadia’s shutdown, it saved the controller from becoming e-waste by providing an option to enable its Bluetooth mode. This would turn the Stadia controller into a regular gaming controller, which you could use with your PC, smartphone, or other devices. The process to switch the Stadia controller to Bluetooth mode is relatively simple as well, only requiring you to use Chrome 108 or newer.
If you still haven’t upgraded your Stadia controller to Bluetooth mode nearly two years after Stadia’s shut down, Google is giving you another year to do so. The process remains straightforward, and there’s no way of going back. Once you switch your Stadia controller to Bluetooth mode, you can’t use Wi-Fi.
Given that Stadia itself is dead, there’s little reason you would want to revert to Wi-Fi mode, though. Just remember that if things go wrong, you are out of luck, as Google has stopped providing customer support for Stadia and its controller.
Do note that in Bluetooth mode, you can’t use the Stadia controller’s 3.5mm jack and USB port for headphones. However, you can use the 3.5mm jack for audio when using the controller over USB-C.
Google Stadia’s legacy lives on with its controller
The dedicated Stadia controller helped distinguish Google’s cloud gaming service from similar options on the market. Nearly two years after its shutdown, Stadia remains the only cloud gaming service to launch with a dedicated gaming controller. It paired over Wi-Fi with the Chromecast Ultra or PC despite featuring an integrated Bluetooth module. You could also hook the controller up over USB-C if you wished to.
The Stadia controller was one of the highlights of Google’s cloud gaming service. And even now, two years after its shut down, you can find the controller for sale on eBay and other marketplaces.
