The Stadia gameplay experience just got a little bit more convenient thanks to a new tool that gives the platform touchscreen controls.
It’s called TouchStadia, and just like you might expect it places digital buttons on the display of your device when Stadia is running.
The tool’s creator posted about the touch controls on reddit, noting that they had been working on it for some time and had finally got it working. One thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t a new app that you can download and install on your phone.
Stadia touchscreen controls don’t work in the Stadia app
The first thing to know is that TouchStadia is not an application you can install on your device. Furthermore it doesn’t work within the Stadia app.
To use it you need to playing Stadia through the Chrome browser on your phone. There’s also a little bit of a setup in getting it to work, but the process shouldn’t be terribly difficult.
TouchStadia’s creator, u/SmashShock, has put together a little guide on GitHub that tells you not only how to use it but gives you everything you need to get it running. Then you’ll be off and playing games in no time.
All without needing to lug a controller along. If you like the feel of a physical controller in your hands, then this definitely won’t replace it. But it should be a nice little substitute when you want to play games but don’t have a controller with you.
Not a single button is missing
If you’re worried about the functionality of touchscreen controls on Stadia, or not having enough buttons, you shouldn’t be.
The setup gives you every single button that you have on the Stadia controller except for the Google Assistant button. In fact the buttons even mimic the design of the ones on the controller, right down to the shape of the d pad.
As for the functionality and how well it works, it seems to do just fine. In the reddit thread about the tool, it’s getting good responses from users that have tried it. Which likely means that when and if you get it up and running you shouldn’t have problems with button presses not being recognized.
There is even an options modifier so you can adjust the size of the buttons and organize them to fit your own personal needs. TouchStadia is completely free to use, so check it out if you play Stadia games via your phone and leave that controller at home next time.