You can get Google Stadia for free now, starting with a 2 month Pro trial

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You don't need to buy a special Stadia pack to play any more

(Image credit: Google)

The Google Stadia free version has gone live today, and everybody who signs up will get to start with two complimentary months of Stadia Pro and its selection of free games.

Stadia Pro's lineup of free games currently includes Destiny 2: The Collection, as well as the complete catalog of SteamWorld titles.

Stadia is a game streaming service that uses Google cloud technology to let you play games without dedicated hardware. Early adopters needed to purchase a special pack that included a Chromecast Ultra and Stadia controller to start playing, but now you're free to use any supported hardware to start playing. Currently that includes Chromecasts on TV, the Chrome browser on PC, or a dedicated app on Pixel phones and certain other Android devices.

Though the free service is meant to help out folks who are social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stadia is also making some temporary changes to ensure it's a responsible internet user. You may notice that your default screen resolution drops down to 1080p while playing in the future - if you want to go back you can always change your data usage options in the app.

It sounds like the free Stadia Pro trial will roll you right into a paid membership of $9.99/£8.99 a month after your trial ends, so don't forget to opt out if you prefer.

See what else is on the way this year with our guide to the best upcoming games of 2020. 

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan
Former GamesRadar+ News Writer

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar+.