Best answer: State Share allows players to share a link so that others can experience the game being played at a specific moment, exactly as the players are. It was one of the announced features for Staida, but has only recently become available in some games.
- Play on your TV: Stadia Premiere Edition ($100 at Best Buy)
How does State Share work?
In order to create a game state in a supported title, simply press the capture button to take a screenshot or video clip. In your Capture gallery, when you select a capture, it will also give you the option to copy or share the URL for State Share. It’s that simple.
The game’s state will be encoded in a link that tells Stadia where to pick up the game at a specific moment in time. This link can then be sent to any number of players who can click on it and instantly hop into the game at the point it was shared.
A State can include things like the specific level you’re on, which items you’ve unlocked and equipped, and your difficulty setting.
Which games support State Share?
Right now the only officially supported games are Hitman 1-3, otherwise known as the World of Assassination trilogy. Support for State Share in Hitman launched at the same time as Hitman 3 on Jan. 20, 2021.
Previously, State Share Beta was released for the Roblox-style multi-user game creation sandbox, Crayta, and the feature is still in “beta” on that title. The implementation in Crayta lets friends quickly join game worlds to play or help others create. The full launch of State Share that allows users to share game states using URLs generated from in-game captures, like in Hitman, is not implemented in Crayta at this time.
Hopefully more of the best Stadia games get support for this feature. Now that it’s actually available, we expect to see it more.
Is there a limit to how many times you can share a link?
No. Users will be able to create an infinite amount of links and send them to whoever they want.
Will I be able to keep this game save after I am done playing?
No, these are not game saves and they will not overwrite or affect what you’ve unlocked in your version of the game. You can use a State Share link to play sections of a game you have not reached yet or to try out items you haven’t unlocked, but they are not savable to your account at this time.
Will there be games designed to take advantage of this feature?
While most games on the market today aren’t built around a feature like this, there are games being developed that do take State Share into account. In fact, Q-Games founder Dylan Cuthbert says that the studio is working on one such game, which is “the biggest title ever” for the studio. Hitman is also a great example as it it’s a very replayable game focused on challenging players with unique scenarios.
Is State Share available right now?
Yes, but only in Hitman 1-3 and (sort of) Crayta. However, Stadia is an actively updated platform that gets new features and enhancements often. We’ll be sure to update you when State Share and other anticipated features are even more robust.
Everything you need
Stadia Premiere Edition
$100 at Best Buy
$100 at Google Store
A good way to start
The Stadia controller is your best option for couch gaming on Stadia via Chromecast. And now with support for Chromecast, Android, iOS, and web browsers, Stadia is your best bet for enjoying all that Google’s gaming service has to offer no matter which device you’re on.
