Google’s Stadia game streaming service is officially adding support for messaging, the service has announced. Messages can be sent to members of your party (who you could previously voice chat with) as well as other players more generally. Alongside it, the service has also announced support for sharing screenshots and video clips on the web via sending links, and it’s adding more information to Stadia profiles. Although these are all fairly basic features, they’re a standard part of most online gaming services, and it’s good to see Stadia finally implement them.
Stadia notes that its messaging feature also includes support for smart replies, saving users from typing out full messages using a gamepad. According to tweets posted by Stadia Product Manager Mario Anima, messaging is currently rolling out across every country where Stadia is available: Italy, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. At least one Reddit user has already seen messaging roll out in Italy.
Stadia’s user profiles are also being updated as part of the changes. The service notes that profiles will now include information on which games you own, friends list, and whether you’re online. Profile shortcuts will also allow players to invite one another to parties. Family Sharing is also now officially launched after it started rolling out earlier this month.
Google’s game streaming service launched almost a year ago to a decidedly mixed response. But to its credit, Google has continued releasing updates for the service over the past year. New features include 4K streaming on the web, support for USB-C headphones via the Stadia controller, as well as a test that saw the service allow game streaming over mobile data.
