Testers of Project Stream will be able to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Oct. 5.
Thanks to services like NVIDIA GeForce Now and PlayStation Now, the gaming industry has been experimenting a lot with the act of streaming video games over an internet connection rather than running them locally on a console or PC. Now, the latest company to dip its toes in the streaming games market is Google.
The latest Project Stream news
March 12, 2019 — Google will share its “vision for the future of gaming” on March 19
It looks like we won’t have to wait too much longer to see what Google’s next steps are for Project Stream.
On March 12, the company released the following teaser clip on Twitter, saying that we’ll get to see “Google’s vision for the future of gaming” on March 19 at the annual Game Developers Conference.
Gather around as we unveil Google’s vision for the future of gaming at #GDC19. Join us live 3/19 at 10 a.m. PT → https://t.co/rb6fN26PDi pic.twitter.com/Vd242KZAWO
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2019
There’s still a lot we don’t know about what Google’s going to announce, but it seems pretty obvious that its Project Stream technology will be at the heart of whatever it is we’re about to see.
October 7, 2018 — Invites start going out for users to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Project Stream invites are rolling out now! pic.twitter.com/DuSBCiCows
— Justin Duino (@jaduino) October 7, 2018
There’s a lot of people chomping at the bit at the prospect of being about to join in Google’s foray in streaming video games — or at least to play the brand-new Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for free — and while invites for the program were supposed to go out Friday, it appears that invites didn’t start hitting inboxes until today. If you already signed up for Project Stream, head to your email and see if there’s invite waiting! If you haven’t signed up yet, well, what are you waiting for?
Sign up for Project Stream here
October 1, 2018 — Google formally announces Project Stream
Google has announced a new technology from the company that is designed to stream AAA video games to your computer using just an internet connection and web browser, called Project Stream.
Per Google’s announcement post:
The technology and creativity behind these AAA video games is extraordinary—from incredible detail and life-like movement of the characters’ skin, clothing, and hair, to the massive scale of the world in which the game unfolds, down to every last blade of grass. Every pixel is powered by an array of real-time rendering technology, artistry, visual effects, animation, simulation, physics and dynamics. We’re inspired by the game creators who spend years crafting these amazing worlds, adventures and experiences, and we’re building technology that we hope will support and empower that creativity.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE53eSbzxoU?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=1]
What is Project Stream?
Project Stream is Google’s entry into the game streaming market. The program lets you stream AAA titles directly in Chrome without the need to buy expensive video cards or dedicated consoles. All you need is a broadband connection (25Mbps or higher) and access to Google Chrome.
What games are available on Project Stream?
Google is turning to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey to test-drive Project Stream, and those that get invited to the program will be able to play the game for free until mid-January.
Who can sign up for Project Stream?
To kickstart Project Stream, Google’s looking for people in the U.S. to test drive the service with the opportunity to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for free starting October 5 and going through mid-January. All you need is an internet connection of 25Mbps or higher and a desktop or laptop with Google Chrome.
Is Google launching a console?
While Google’s yet to say one way or another, it’s very possible that Project Stream will tie into reports from earlier this year of Google working on its own gaming console called “Yeti.” We already know that Yeti will have a focus on cloud-based streaming, so it only seems logical that Project Stream is our first introduction to that.
Google’s holding an event on October 9 to unveil the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, and should the company take some time to go into further detail about Project Stream and/or Yeti, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Sign up for Project Stream here
