Finally, Google Stadia is getting a feature that’s actually pretty cool

Google Stadia has begun rolling out a new Party Stream feature that’ll let you broadcast to a close-knit group of buddies.

The new feature allows Google Stadia subscribers to stream their gameplay with up to nine of their friends, the tech giant confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab). What’s more, Google’s gone one better by letting members in the stream switch from viewer to player on the fly.

That means you can jump into the game your buddy is streaming at a moment’s notice. Want to help them clear a Strike mission in Destiny 2? As long as you’re a Stadia subscriber, and in the same Party Stream as the broadcaster, you can do just that.

And fear not if you don’t have access to the new Party Stream feature just yet. Google is rolling the feature out to all Stadia owners as we speak, and it should update for you by the end of the week.

Sowing Discord

On paper, Google Stadia’s Party Stream feature isn’t exactly revolutionary. Popular messaging app Discord has had a similar streaming feature for years now. However, Discord’s streaming tools simply allow users to capture their selected window for those on call. By comparison, Party Stream on Google Stadia is a noticeably more advanced implementation. 

For example, Party Stream supports most of Stadia’s chat features, including emoji and voice reactions that’ll pop up on-screen. Streamers will also receive on-screen pop-ups whenever a buddy joins the stream for the first time. That means you won’t have to glance over at your streaming window to keep tabs on who’s joined.

I’m also a big fan of viewers being able to join a streamed game on the fly. It makes sense, given subscribers all have access to the same Stadia library. But it’s a welcome quality-of-life feature that meshes well with the drop-in nature of many of the best co-op games.

Realistically, Party Stream probably isn’t going to light the world on fire. And if you’re not already a fan of Stadia, then it’s probably not going to change your mind. But still, it does look like a fun and convenient way to stream and play the best Google Stadia games with a close-knit group of buds.