It’s the last day of Google Stadia, but not for its controller. It is now possible to make it Bluetooth compatible and explains how to do it.
Google Stadia is dead and the platform’s funeral takes place this Wednesday, January 18. It is indeed today the last day of a service which has never confirmed its beautiful promises. The cloud gaming platform has had time to celebrate its 3rd anniversary, but players have long since deserted Stadia. Despite an interesting technological base, Google made the decision to stop the fees in September. The firm accompanied the end of its service with a refund campaign, but the issue of the controller remained to be resolved.
Indeed, the Stadia controller has the particularity of using wifi to connect to Google servers. If a Bluetooth module is present, it is only there for the first pairing. So there was a risk of seeing the Stadia controller become obsolete with the death of the platform. Bad news from an ecological point of view and for the players, because the controller is not bad. It benefits from pleasant ergonomics and a beautiful finish, enough to reinforce the disappointment for those who believed in the project.
Finally, the Mountain View firm has put online a tool to transform it into a Bluetooth controller. Indeed, it releases the limitations of technology to give a second life to Google’s controller.
How to switch to Bluetooth mode?
To switch your controller to Bluetooth mode, you must meet certain prerequisites. The first is to have a Internet access, because it is currently necessary to go through the Google site. You have to use the chrome browser (108 or later), a USB-C cable to connect the controller (the one provided works) and check that the controller hasat least 10% battery. This represents approximately 30 minutes of charging.
After that and if you are ready, you just have to follow the four steps indicated by Google. We still detail the procedure :
- To log in to the Google Stadia website and choose “Switch to Bluetooth mode”, then “Start”
- Connect your Stadia Controller to your PC or Mac
- Tap “Allow Chrome to verify” and choose Stadia Controller
The most important step starts here, if your controller is sufficiently charged.
- Unplug the controller to turn it off, as indicated on the screen
- Press the “…” button on your controller, and reconnect the controller
- Simultaneously press the “…”, “Assistant”, A and Y buttons. The controller does not react? It’s normal.
- You can then click on “Allow Chrome to download”, then on your controller
- The update is done on your controller
Congratulations, you can pair and use your Stadia Controller in Bluetooth mode.
Be careful, the procedure is irreversible and Google specifies it from the beginning of the operation. With Stadia shut down, there’s really no reason not to switch to Bluetooth mode. Your controller can now connect to a Bluetooth device by simply pressing the buttons Y and Stadia to enter pairing mode.
Google precise that Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13, ChromeOS, Android or even Steam are supported. For now, the iOS system is not affected.
The Stadia controller was not designed for this Bluetooth mode, so keep in mind that some buttons are diverted from their primary function. The Stadia button becomes a Home button while the Screenshot and Google Assistant buttons are unassigned by default. It will be possible to do this in your games. Google may soon release updates to improve support and fix bugs.
Attention, the official tool of Google will only be available until December 31, 2023.
