Will Stadia work on my Android phone? Here are the Stadia compatible phones

Finding a complete list of Stadia devices can be tricky. Most of the best Android phones support it by default, or you can hook up a Chromecast Ultra to your TV for a more traditional gaming experience. But in terms of Stadia on Android tablets, Stadia iOS support, Stadia on Android TV, or even Stadia on Chromebooks, it’s not always clear which will work or which will work well. Below are all the Stadia-compatible phones, tablets, computers, and TVs today, as well as the devices that have planned Stadia support in the future.

All Stadia Compatible Android Phones

So long as your Android phone is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or better — and if it isn’t, you really should upgrade already — Stadia should technically run on it. If you want it to run Stadia well, Google has a list of officially supported devices that should play Stadia games as intended. You can see the current 2021 list below:

Google

• Pixel 2
• Pixel 2 XL
• Pixel 3
• Pixel 3 XL
• Pixel 3a
• Pixel 3a XL
• Pixel 4
• Pixel 4 XL
• Pixel 4a
• Pixel 4a 5G
• Pixel 5

Samsung

• Samsung S8
• Samsung S8+
• Samsung S8 Active
• Samsung Note 8
• Samsung S9
• Samsung S9+
• Samsung Note 9
• Samsung S10
• Samsung S10+
• Samsung Note 10
• Samsung Note 10+
• Samsung S20
• Samsung S20+
• Samsung S20 Ultra

OnePlus

• OnePlus 5
• OnePlus 6
• OnePlus 7
• OnePlus 7 Pro
• OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
• OnePlus 8
• OnePlus 8 Pro
• OnePlus 5T
• OnePlus 6T
• OnePlus 7T
• OnePlus 7T Pro
• OnePlus 7T Pro 5G
• OnePlus 8T
• OnePlus Nord
• OnePlus N10 5G
• OnePlus N100

Asus

• ROG Phone
• ROG Phone II
• ROG Phone III

Razer

• Razer Phone
• Razer Phone II

LG

• LG V50 ThinQ
• LG V50S ThinQ
• LG V60 ThinQ
• LG G7 ThinQ
• LG G8 ThinQ
• LG Wing

What if my phone isn’t on the list?

Don’t lose hope! Some of the best phones available today, including the Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Moto G Power, Sony Xperia 1 II, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 aren’t listed above. Despite that, they certainly should have the OS support and graphical chops to handle Stadia with ease. Their absence just means that Google’s engineers haven’t tested and approved them yet.

Use the Stadia Experiments feature to enable streaming on unsupported phones. Download the Stadia app and check if there is a Play button under a game you own. If not, open the Settings, then tap Experiments. You should see an option to turn on Play on this device. Just like that, you’ll be able to enjoy Stadia on virtually any Android phone! Just be ready for potential glitches and crashes, since it won’t be officially optimized for your phone.

What to know about Stadia tablet support

For whatever reason, Google doesn’t officially support Stadia on any Android tablets, not even its own Pixel Slate. That said, Stadia fans have successfully tested it on most of the best Android tablets, in particular the excellent Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup.

The process is the same as if you were using an unsupported Android phone. Download the Stadia app, open the Settings menu and Experiments sub-menu, and select the option Play on the device. If that doesn’t work for whatever reason, you’ll need to download and open the Chrome web browser on your tablet, then go to Stadia.google.com. You should see the Play button underneath any Stadia game in your library.

Some dedicated Stadia fans have managed to play Stadia on Kindle Fire HD tablets, either by sideloading Chrome and using Desktop Mode or unofficially downloading the Google Play store to access the app. It’s a complicated process that isn’t guaranteed to work, so you’ll likely have better luck trying out Amazon Luna instead.

Google fully supports Stadia on Chrome OS tablets, so if you own any of the best Chromebook tablets, you should have no trouble using the service in the Chrome browser. You’ll just have to access it using your browser, as opposed to an official app. Stadia may be installed on Chromebooks by default at some point in 2021, placed on the first page of the Chrome OS app drawer after Duo. However, Chrome OS 87 and 88 have launched since this rumor emerged and neither implemented this change.

What about Stadia on iOS?

The Stadia iOS app doesn’t let you play games. It only allows you to access Stadia games on your TV so long as you have a Chromecast Ultra plugged in. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and NVIDIA have all been blocked from creating official App Store apps for their cloud gaming platforms, and Apple won’t change its policy anytime soon. When someone created an app that sideloaded Stadia on iPhones and iPads, Apple quickly killed it.

Fortunately, there’s a new Stadia iOS beta that’s perfectly legal and easy to access. Update your OS to version 14.3 or later, then go to stadia.com in your Safari browser. You should see a prompt saying you can play in your browser. Tap Got it and you’ve successfully ported Stadia to your Apple device!

Our next suggestion is to create a web app shortcut by tapping the share button and selecting Add to Home Screen. It’ll create an icon shortcut that simplifies the process.

How to play Stadia on TVs, Chromecasts, and Android TV

To play Stadia on your TV, you’ll need a Chromecast Ultra. Unfortunately, Google stopped selling it as a standalone device in order to push Chromecast with Google TV, so the only way to get your hands on one now is to buy used or snag a Stadia Premiere Edition, which includes the Ultra and Stadia Controller for $100.

Google has promised that the Chromecast with Google TV will support Stadia officially sometime in 2021. For now, you can technically play Stadia on Chromecast with Google TV via sideloading and the Experiments tab of the Stadia app, but you’ll have to follow these steps all over again whenever Stadia gets an update.

Once Stadia is supported on the new Chromecast, we’re hopeful that other Android TV boxes will add it as an app too.

We were excited to hear that new 2021 LG TVs will support Stadia natively without a Chromecast, though it won’t be added until late 2021. According to the press release, you may need to at least own the Stadia Controller to play on LG TVs, but we’ve reached out to LG to ask if Bluetooth controllers will work.

What’s the best way to play Stadia?

If you want Stadia to play AAA games comfortably in bed, slide your Android phone into a Razer Kishi and play Stadia as a handheld console. If you want to take full advantage of its 4K 60Hz specs, you’ll want to get your hands on a Chromecast Ultr or buy the much-better Chromecast with Google TV and be patient until Google adds official support. We love using the Stadia Controller, but try one of the other best wireless controllers for Stadia if you want to save money.

The great thing about Stadia today is that it’s become increasingly available on most devices, so you can play it on whichever device is your personal favorite. Even “experimental” Stadia devices could work great, so go ahead and start experimenting!

The total Stadia experience

Stadia Premiere Edition

$100 at Best Buy

Stream on your TV

With Google’s Chromecast Ultra you can stream Stadia to your smart TV in the comfort of your own living room at an affordable price. You’ll also get the Stadia Controller, one of the most comfortable controllers with buttons that are tailor-made for Stadia.

Latest and greatest

Pixel 5

$700 at Amazon
From $650 at Best Buy

Android phones just got a lot better.

Those in the market for a new phone will want to check out the Pixel 5, the company’s latest and greatest in the Pixel series of devices. What makes it even better is that it supports Stadia game streaming so you can take your games anywhere.

Stadia: Handheld Edition

Razer Kishi

$80 at Amazon
$80 at Best Buy
$80 at Walmart

The best controller for Stadia on Android

The Kishi slides around your phone and connects via USB-C, running off of its power so you don’t need to charge it. Make sure your phone will fit inside first, but assuming it does, it’s a quality portable controller that’s easy to take on the road or hold while laying back in bed.