With Google Stadia set to launch on an unspecified date this November, there's been a surge of interest in the new cloud-streaming service. So much so that the Google Stadia Founders Edition – the £119 / $129 premium bundle, which includes everything you need to get going with the streaming service – has sold out in most European territories, with the US and Canada close behind. Thankfully, Google announced this morning that becoming a Founder won't be the only way that you can get a head start with Stadia before the year's end.
"I'm super proud to tell you that the Founders Edition for Stadia has sold out in Europe," Jack Buser, director for games at Google, tells GamesRadar. "We'll be removing the Founders Edition from the Google Store page in EU countries today, but we're going to replace it with a new bundle that we are calling the Premier Edition."
The Stadia Premiere Edition is due to launch this November, replacing the Founders Edition bundle once its stocks dry up in each territory – Buser tells me that the UK, US, and Canada have very limited amounts of these bundles remaining, and once they are gone, they are gone. As a reminder, the Founders Edition bundle is the only way to secure your Stadia Name on the online service, get your hands-on an exclusive Night Blue controller, and claim a Buddy Pass which lets you gift three months of Stadia Pro to pal.
Google Stadia Premiere Edition
The Stadia Premiere Edition bundle comes packaged with a Clearly White controller instead of the Night Blue variant, as well as Chromecast Ultra for playing games on your TV, and a three-month Stadia Pro subscription, just like the Founders Edition. As a reminder, a Stadia Pro subscription, priced at $9.99 / £8.99 per month, is what unlocks the full potential of Stadia, giving you the ability to stream games at 4K/60fps with full HDR support and 5.1 surround sound, as well as granting you access to a growing library of games that are free for as long as your subscription is active – including a copy of Destiny 2: The Complete Collection.
"We've been watching the numbers dwindle down and down and down as we've announced more and more games coming – we're up to over 40 games now that have been announced for the platform, with over 28 partners, which is amazing," Buser continued. "And yeah, we were super excited. And gamers are excited, they are responding! I mean, this is why it's selling out."
Google Stadia is set to launch this November but a solid date is yet to be confirmed. When pressed, a Google rep told me that it would be ready to "share a specific date soon" and that we will "have to wait to see why" we haven't received that information already. Google also confirmed that the Stadia Premiere Edition will ship shortly after the Founders Edition bundle – giving Founders the opportunity to secure their Stadia Name – and that the Premiere Edition bundle will be the "the new version of Stadia that we're going to have for the foreseeable future".
The Stadia Premiere Edition will cost €129.00 in Europe, with UK, US, and CAD pricing to be announced once the Founders Edition bundle sells out in those territories. To secure yourself the bundle, you'll want to head over to the Google Store.
Story updated to reflect that the Premiere Edition will cost €129.00 in Europe, not €69.00 – which is the price of a standalone Stadia controller.
Be sure to check out our list of all of Google Stadia games confirmed for the platform so far.
