Almost six months after its initial launch, Google Stadia finally has a free option for those who want to see what the company's cloud gaming service is all about

Access to Google Stadia is free, but for a limited time, users can access Stadia Pro, the premium tier of the service, for free for two months Stadia Pro, which normally costs $10 per month, provides access to a library of titles including Destiny 2, Grid, and Thumper, and can stream games at up to 4K resolution If you have already paid for Stadia Pro, you will not be charged for the next two months

Once subscribed to Stadia, users can also purchase additional titles such as Doom Eternal, Mortal Kombat 11, and Red Dead Redemption 2 Google will eventually release a free Stadia Base with a 1080p streaming limit option eventually, but that release date has not yet been set

The free trial of Google Stadia was announced in a blog post by Phil Harrison, vice president and general manager of Stadia

"We are facing one of the most challenging times in recent memory," Harrison wrote 'While it is important to maintain social distance, staying home for extended periods of time can be difficult and can feel isolating' Video games can be a valuable way to interact with friends and family when you are confined to your home

Harrison also notes that Google is working on temporarily defaulting the default resolution of stadium games from 4K to 1080p because so many more people are playing games at home and using Internet bandwidth

To get started with Stadia, go to the Google Stadia website and sign up with your Google account; you will be charged if you continue your Stadia Pro subscription beyond the two-month period, but at any time before that You can cancel your subscription at any time before that Harrison said the free trial will roll out "over the next 48 hours" as of April 8

Currently, Stadia can be played on PCs, Macs, and tablets that support Google Chrome, keyboard and mouse, as well as popular USB controllers including DualShock 4 and Xbox Wireless Controller Stadia also supports common USB controllers, including DualShock 4 and Xbox Wireless Controller As for mobile, Stadia currently supports all versions of the Pixel 2 and later, Samsung Galaxy S8 and later, and Asus ROG Phone and Razer Phone

In our review of Google Stadia, we were impressed with Stadia's overall consistent streaming performance and compatibility with a variety of screens However, the service's inaugural lineup is a bit lackluster, and key features such as iOS compatibility are still missing; access to Stadia was previously restricted to Chromecast Ultra, Stadia controllers, and the $129 Stadia Pro, which includes three months of The fact that it was restricted to Premium Edition purchasers did not help

Fortunately, Stadia Pro's game lineup has grown since launch with titles like Grid and Steamworld Dig, and major AAA games like Doom Eternal are now available on the service And since it's free for two months, there's no reason not to give it a try