TL;DR
- Stadia controllers could only connect through Wi-Fi when they launched.
- Google allowed Stadia controller owners to switch the controller to Bluetooth mode back in January 2023.
- Stadia controllers will essentially become useless if they aren’t switched to Bluetooth mode before December 31, 2023.
Although the game streaming platform known as Stadia is long gone, Google’s Stadia controllers are still useful. If you remembered to switch the controller over to Bluetooth mode, then it can used with other gaming platforms. But if you haven’t made the switch yet, you better hurry, or that controller will soon become nothing more than a paperweight.
Shortly before Stadia shutdown, Google announced it was giving the Stadia controller a long-requested feature — Bluetooth connectivity. To enable Bluetooth mode, owners had to head over to the Stadia site and navigate to the Switch to Bluetooth mode page. There, owners would be able to connect their controller to a PC via USB and hit start to begin the process.
After the process is done, the controller will start using Bluetooth Low Energy connections. As a result, it loses some features like wireless passthrough audio, but it gains the ability to be used on Steam (Windows 10, 11, and MacOS 13), Chrome OS, Android, and potentially other platforms.
The decision to enable Bluetooth gave the Stadia controller a new life. However, the tech giant also laid down a deadline for when this could be done — December 31, 2023. Now that the year is almost over, you only have a couple of weeks left to prevent your Stadia controller from becoming e-waste. Google also has an FAQ to answer any other questions you may have about the controller.
