The Google Stadia Founder’s Edition, launching on November 19th, is all sold-out. Google quickly replaced it with the Premiere Edition, which includes slightly fewer benefits but costs the same amount: $130. However, Google recently told The Verge that neither set of buyers will necessarily be able to play when Stadia launches at 9 a.m. PT.
Gamers that were first to pre-order Stadia Founder’s Edition might be getting it by the release date, but others might have to wait up to two weeks. Google told The Verge that the Premiere Edition won’t have shipped by release, and orders are being shipped in the order in which they were received. Google’s online store shows that if you pre-order a Premiere Edition right now it will ship in November, even without paying for faster shipping. According to Google’s blog customers will receive an email code when their package ships that will allow them to activate their Stadia account, so presumably eager customers will be able to start playing on a computer before their hardware package arrives.
Besides shipping a little later, the Premiere Edition lacks a few features of the Founder’s Edition. The Founder’s Edition comes with three months of Stadia Pro, an additional three-month “buddy pass,” Destiny 2: The Collection, a limited-edition blue controller, dibs on a unique username, and Chromecast Ultra. The Premiere Edition provides a standard white controller and doesn’t include the buddy pass or a unique username, but otherwise provides the same benefits.
As previously mentioned, you should be able to play Stadia on a laptop, desktop, and a few other devices as soon as you receive your email activation code. Chromecast Ultra and the Stadia Controller are only required to play on a TV.
A free version of Stadia will be made more broadly available in 2020, and additional features not present at launch (like the ability to wirelessly connect a Stadia controller to any device) will be added eventually. Stadia Pro will cost $9.99 a month once the three-month subscription ends, and offers perks like streaming in 4k resolution, free games, and discounts. You’ll need a minimum throughput of 10Mbps for 720p resolution, and you can check your connection here.
Sources: The Verge, Google