Google Stadia continues to advance at its own pace. And it seems that Google’s streaming game service seems not to be in a hurry to add news that they promised during their presentation. Despite, even, that proposals such as Amazon Luna or Microsoft‘s xCloud come stomping. Now comes the tandem mode and that’s how it works.
What is Google Stadia tandem mode?
The tandem mode is a new functionality that the company itself had already announced would be available on Google Stadia, but it did not arrive until practically a year after the launch of the service.
This experimental function consists of allowing the user of the service to be able to connect other game controllers available on the market with Google Stadia. For example, to be able to use two of the most popular and valued controllers among gamers around the world: the Xbox and PS4. But wait, wasn’t it already possible to use these controllers with Stadia?
Yes and no, until now you could use Xbox and PS4 controllers with Google Stadia as long as you ran the service on a mobile device or computer. However, if you accessed through the TV via the Premiere Edition package, consisting of a Google Chromecast Ultra and the official controller, you could not connect any other controllers.
Now this is over and they will allow you to use other controls, something that you will see later makes a lot of sense and can be a before and after for some Google Stadia users. Of course, that does not mean that the way it works is a bit strange, although understandable. Because the official Stadia controller will be the one that acts as a bridge between the new gamepad and the service.
How to use Stadia’s tandem mode
To use the Google Stadia tandem mode, all you have to do is have a compatible remote that is linked to the TV or screen where you want to use it through a Chromecast Ultra if it does not have official support. Once this is done, the steps to follow are as follows:
- Turn on your main Google Stadia controller
- Check that it is correctly linked to the screen
- Now, confirm that the secondary controller you want to use is charged and turned off
- Connect the new controller to the Stadia controller via a USB cable
The only thing you have to keep in mind is that, in case of using a USB A to USB C adapter, it must be on the side of the Stadia controller. And again, remember that the secondary controller must be turned off before connecting it to the main controller with which you use Stadia.
Controllers compatible with Stadia tandem mode
Regarding the compatible controllers, not anyone with a Bluetooth connection that is already compatible with the respective Xbox or PS4 is valid. The list of those that are supported by Stadia’s tandem mode are:
| Secondary control | Vendor ID: Product ID |
|---|---|
| Stadia controller | 18d1: 9400 |
| Xbox Adaptive Controller | 045e: 0b0a |
| Xbox One controller | 045e: 02d1 045e: 02dd 045e: 02ea |
| Xbox One Elite Controller (Series 1 & 2) | 045e: 02e3 045e: 0b00 |
| Sony DualShock 4 Controller | 054c: 05c4 054c: 09cc |
The usefulness of tandem mode
At this point, knowing that if you run Google Stadia on a computer or mobile device you can already use other controls that are not the official one, what is this tandem mode really for . Well, basically and its main purpose is to improve the accessibility options of the service.
This means that you can use other controllers that allow you to play in a different way than usual or through an accessory that is only compatible for that controller. Here the clearest example is the Adaptive Xbox Controller. Although Stadia’s tandem mode also allows the use of two controllers at the same time, so that another user can help you or you can do it to whoever is playing.
They are, as we say, options that improve the gameplay and that accessibility that is so important for many players. Therefore, despite not looking like you, the new tandem mode is an important and interesting improvement of the service.
