Google Offering Two Months of Stadia Pro for Free

This is a time of generosity for people, companies and organisations alike. In the face of these trying circumstances, we're all reaching out with gestures of goodwill wherever and however we can. Attempting to throw its hat into the ring of giving is Google, who alongside launching the completely free 'non-Pro' version of Stadia, is offering two months of Stadia Pro access for free, as long as you live in one of the 14 eligible countries:

• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Spain
• Sweden
• UK
• US

New members of Stadia Pro will need to sign up at stadia.com, download the Stadia app on their smartphone, and they'll be ready to go—provided they have a compatible controller or keyboard/mouse setup. It's also worth noting that existing Pro members will not be charged for their next two months of membership: this offer isn't punishing the few remaining Stadia devotees.

Google states that this offer is a way for you to "socialize with friends and family when you’re stuck at home", and while there's no denying that free access to a paid service is a positive thing, this offer gives off a whiff of opportunism when taken alongside Stadia's poor performance in the gaming market. Stadia, by most accounts, is dead in the water; this free offer could be seen as a last ditch effort to make an impact on the industry before it's completely forgotten and superceded by Microsoft's Project xCloud and NVIDIA's GeForce Now.

On top of that, the default streaming resolution for games will temporarily be reduced from 4K to 1080p. Considering that 4K streaming is one of the selling points of Stadia Pro, it makes even more sense that Google would temporarily waive the fee for access to the service.

Games will need to be purchased individually on Stadia: this isn't a Netflix-like business model. Pro membership will, however, provide instant access to a (growing) list of nine games. These are:

• Destiny 2: The Collection
• GRID
• Gylt
• SteamWorld Dig 2
• SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
• Serious Sam Collection
• Spitlings
• Stacks on Stacks (on Stacks)
• Thumper

The two months of free Stadia Pro access has already begun. In addition, the 'non-Pro' Stadia membership is also available now (permanently) for free.