Right now Google Stadia only works on a limited number of smartphones, including newer Pixel models, but that could be about to change. Code spotted in the latest Stadia app for Android suggests support for devices that haven’t been “certified” is coming.
As discovered by 9to5Google, the change would mean you could at least give Stadia a go on any Android phone you like, even if it hasn’t been specifically approved by Google. The new feature would likely be marked as experimental.
While Stadia also works on TVs and the Chromecast Ultra, as well as in Google Chrome on computers, letting more phones into the fold would undoubtedly add to the game streaming service’s appeal – and probably get more subscribers on board.
Google Stadia remains a work in progress to some extent, with new features and new games rolling out regularly. A few weeks ago, for example, we saw support for wireless controllers added to Stadia on computers.
Coming soon… maybe
A more relaxed approach to which mobile devices can play Stadia isn’t the only change spotted by 9to5Google, though it’s worth bearing in mind that there’s no guarantee that these hidden features will ever become official.
The latest app teardown reveals more hints of a “touch gamepad” so you can play on a phone without a separate controller – which would certainly make it easier to switch to your phone for a quick gaming session without any extra hardware.
There are also signs that Stadia’s voice chat function is finally going to show up on Android, a potential upgrade that has been coming for quite some time now. Of course adding chat is a little more complicated on smaller devices.
Finally, the code mentions numerous promotions and sales events, so it looks as though Google is going to spend plenty of time advertising the platform in the coming months. One possible future feature is being able to play a game for free over a weekend.