Google Stadia continues to take small steps towards the full launch of the product, and that is that the service did not reach the hands of users in the way that Google first presented it. With the passage of time the service has been gaining features and functions, such as the possibility of being able to play from a browser at 4K resolution , something that could not be done until a little over a week ago. But, are there technical requirements to play that resolution?
The secret is in VP9
Yes, to play Stadia in 4K from a browser you need certain requirements, but don’t expect to find a list of specifications in true PC Master Race style. Actually, what the company recommends is available from a Chromebook or a PC with hardware capable of decoding the VP9 codec .
It is a codec that looks for the same as another of the most used codecs, the H.264, with the exception that VP9 looks for more definition in the image. This codec is perfectly compatible with phones from a few years ago like the Galaxy S6, so the requirements of your PC will not be particularly high.
However, since we are talking about playing in 4K, the computer must be able to move said resolution with height, not to mention having a screen that allows you to enjoy UHD. Of course, remember that some games like DOOM Eternal will not play in 4K, so not everything will be rosy.
What about Macs?
Google details on its official website the technical aspects related to PCs, but what about Mac users? According to 9to5Google, there is an unofficial extension for Chrome called Stadia + that allows you to force 4K mode on Apple computers, so you could play from your iMac quietly.
Details to be considered
This being able to play directly from the browser as if it were a YouTube video, has its benefits and its drawbacks. For example, one of the factors to consider is the amount of data that we are downloading, since being a connection that maintains a continuous download, we are generating a large amount of downloaded data.
To be exact, an hour of 4K gaming involves downloading no less than 20 GB. You already know that in Destiny the games are quite long, so you could calmly eat 40 GB of data in a game session.
Unfortunately there are still other settings that are still unavailable, such as HDR support and 5.1 audio , so users are going to have to keep waiting to enjoy the full viewing experience remotely.
