When Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced in 2012, few would have considered playing it on mobile: the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nokia Lumia 900, and other phones of the year. they weren't exactly on par with contemporary consoles or PCs. In 2020, things are very different, and thanks to Google Stadia and GeForce Now, you can play the new game on your portable device just as easily as on your PlayStation, Xbox, or computer. Even easier, perhaps; We briefly tested Cyberpunk 2077 on Google Stadia via an Android smartphone and identified a few ways it could beat a console or PC experience. When it launched, Google Stadia was panned by critics; partly because it was slow if you were on poor internet, partly because at launch it lacked some promoted features and had a confusing subscription schedule, but also partly because many were furious that 'a new company is entering the market' of the game dominated by veterans. However, with Cyberpunk 2077, it seems that Google Stadia has begun its renaissance, now uniting computers and physical consoles.
Anyone can play
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(Image credit: Google) Google Stadia remains the most affordable way to play games for most people; of course, the games cost the same there as they do on consoles, with Cyberpunk 2077 getting $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$89.99. But that's basically all you need to pay. Gaming consoles are expensive, both current and next generation, and that's if you can even buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X, considering they're out of stock. A gaming PC capable of handling Cyberpunk 2077 would cost even more, so in theory the game wouldn't be playable for people on a tight budget. However, with Google Stadia, all you need is your smartphone, tablet, or any other type of screen; you don't need to pay big extra dollars to play. We found that the service works great on affordable smartphones too, so even if you have a budget device, you're good to go. Of course, having a 5G phone that lets you play Stadia on the go (or even at home, since 5G trumps Wi-Fi for many) would be a plus, as would buying a controller. to really enjoy the game. But you don't need to get one if you don't want to, and we've tested the game without one. Its affordability and accessibility is perhaps the best feature of Google Stadia as it allows so many more people to play the game, and thanks to Stadia, people who don't own a console or PC can still enjoy it. experience.
Play now
There have been plenty of reviews online for the Cyberpunk 2077 bug issue, our own review points it out in detail, and while there is a day-one fix to resolve many of the issues, that's depending on the platform. -shape: You can bring the total size of the game installation to almost 100 GB. So if you have an internet connection that is far from stellar, you are going to wait hours, if not days, to play. For many, it may be faster to wait until the year 2077. When we played the game on Google Stadia, it took much less time to start playing. We'll give you a chance to guess how long, before watching the video below to find out. This shows us from our phone's home screen, opening Google Stadia, handling a little notification in the controllers (which wouldn't even show up if we'd connected our own), and waiting for the first one to load. menu. And the grand total is... 46 seconds. I was on a high-end smartphone; We tried the test on the cheapest phone we could find, the $20 Vivo Y119 (about $160, AU$210), and it took about the same amount of time. Since Stadia doesn't rely on the phone's processing speed, this good result on a cheap phone isn't a surprise, but it's a testament to the fact that Stadia works well on all Android phones. If you need, say, an extra minute to purchase Cyberpunk 2077 via the Stadia store page, plan on a total of two minutes to purchase and launch the game. If you need to download the app, look for your credit card, look for phone charging cables; you can still play within 10 minutes of your decision. That's slightly less time than the hours or even days it takes on other platforms. Cyberpunk 2077 players seem to be pretty split on the early performance of the game. We tested the game on Stadia for about an hour, and the lag issues that plagued the Stadia launch were mostly gone, albeit in some sections of the game. driving, the game occasionally stutters. However, we're not sure if this was due to game bug issues or issues with Stadia, or simply the fact that we were testing the title on an affordable phone with (probably) weaker antennas than most phones. .
Do I have Stadia or should I go?
Stadia has been steadily improving since launch and we expect Cyberpunk 2077 to follow a similar trajectory with most bugs being squashed in the coming months, which means we'll likely see a steady stream of fixes. some time could slow down. But as it stands, we could certainly see the argument that Cyberpunk 2077 is actually better on Google Stadia, thanks to its lower cost of entry, fast load time, and lack of future patch downloads. necessary.
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Cyberpunk 2077 (Image credit: CD Projekt Red) This review doesn't take ease of play into account: some like to sit upright at a desk when they play, others like to lean against a couch, and if you're on one of those groups, you can find the PC or the console. live better. The "best console" for you is the one that fits your lifestyle, after all. But if you think you can enjoy the game on your mobile, or even on another Stadia-compatible accessory like a Chromecast or Android tablet, we recommend giving it a try. Thanks to the rocky launch of Cyberpunk 2077, Google Stadia had a tremendous opportunity to shine; Of course, it's not the first big game to hit the platform, but some might argue that it's the first time it's hit the platform. A game on the platform wins over other platforms. . It's hard to say that Google Stadia is better than other consoles and PC, beyond the fact that it's a mistake to call any one way of playing ''better'' than another, it's not. it's just a game, but it shows us that the streaming service is constantly improving. From a difficult launch, it's now a reliable way to play, on par with its rivals. Thanks to its Cyberpunk 2077 performance, we can't wait to follow the future of Stadia and test all the new games coming to your (virtual) tablets.