Stadia’s biggest release to date has arrived in the form of the uber-hyped 80s inspired Cyberpunk 2077. One of the biggest unanswered questions leading up to release though is just how well Cyberpunk is able to run on all devices — including Stadia.
We’ve played through the opening hour to work out just how it runs on Google’s game streaming platform and answer what will likely be some of your most prominent queries if you were looking to pre-order or pick up the game ahead of its severely-delayed launch.
We’re not here to discuss the overall story arc and gameplay making this completely spoiler-free, let’s answer some of your burning questions right upfront so that you can just get into Night City for yourself:
Video — How well does Cyberpunk 2077 run on Google Stadia?
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What resolution does Cyberpunk run at natively on Stadia?
You’ve got a couple of options, if you prefer 60fps you’re capped at 1080p with the High Frame Rate mode, while 4K UHD is currently capped at 30fps with the Visual mode activated according to the guys over at Stadia Source who have done a deep dive into the visuals we recommend you check out via the link in the description.
I’d personally suggest opting for 1080p 60fps when playing Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia if you want the best balance of visuals and smooth gaming experience — especially when things start to get a bit hectic on-screen.
How do the graphics stack up from the pre-release trailers and snippets?
Surprisingly well, Cyberpunk 2077 is a pretty smooth experience on Stadia when in full flow with no noticeable visual flaws or issues at all beyond some potential in-game bugs not related to the visuals. Things look crisp and clean, which is far more visible when playing than when viewing screen captures.
How long are the loading times?
Relatively quick — although we didn’t time these to the second. As Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world game, loading portions are very well hidden with things being extra rapid with no texture pop-ins that sometimes plague larger open-world titles even on Stadia.
Did we see any noticeable frame drops or stutters?
While it’s sometimes impossible to see individual frame drops when playing Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia using a Gigabit connection over Wi-Fi and when playing in Chrome, there were “no” major frame drops of note. If you’ve played any of the other Stadia triple-A titles in recent months, it’s smooth with a gamepad or keyboard + mouse combo.
Are there really no downloads or updates?
Yep, right from launch, Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia was ready to go with the Day 1 update pre-installed and no need to download anything other than the Stadia app for Android or iOS — when it officially becomes available on Apple’s platform in the coming weeks.
Can I play from my iPhone or iPad?
Unfortunately, as of December 9, Stadia has not yet launched the official ability to play games like Cyberpunk 2077 from your iOS device. In the meantime, though, there are third-party apps like Stadium that can play the game but because this is a workaround, your experience may vary.
Have a question of your own about Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia?
Drop your questions down in the comments section below and we’ll do our utmost to answer as many as humanly possible. And in the process, maybe save you some money if you were on the fence about a purchase.
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