Google wants you to try its game streaming service, Stadia The company recently announced a "Play and Watch" bundle that includes a new Chromecast, Google TV, and a Stadia controller

As 9to5Google discovered, the $9999 bundle is a $19 discount overall, as the Chromecast is $4999 and the Stadia controller is $69 However, that does not necessarily make this package a bargain

A Chromecast Ethernet adapter can also be added for $999 ($10 off) Given the latency inherent in cloud gaming, we recommend upgrading if you want to get plenty of use out of Stadia

"Stadia instant gaming on the biggest screen in your home The Play and Watch with Google TV Package also includes Chromecast with Google TV, perfect for streaming your favorite games, shows, and movies"

Bundling the two products is a smart move by Google to highlight the Chromecast's potential as a gaming device to those who assumed it was only for video streaming Nevertheless, we are skeptical that a bundle twice the price of a standalone Chromecast will attract many buyers

Google says Stadia is "alive and well," but it is anything but thriving, and the general mood has been a bit gloomy for some time, with first-party studios shutting down and third-party developers laughing nervously when asked about sales figures They are laughing Google has not released official figures, but as of last April, the free app had been downloaded a total of one million times As our own Marshall Onoroff noted, Sony shipped more than four times as many PS5s in a shorter period of time, despite a severe shortage

And while Google Stadia boasts over 100 games coming in 2021, so far the age and quality of the titles has been decidedly hit or miss, with titles like "Resident Evil: Village" and "Cyberpunk 2077" being approved for release on Stadia Competition in streaming games is also heating up, with GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Game Pass now available for streaming; Netflix will enter gaming next year, but will initially focus on mobile

For those who are interested in Stadia but don't want to spend nearly $99 on hardware, Google has also reduced the price of the original Stadia Premier Edition bundle to $7999 This is because the bundled Chromecast Ultra is no longer available, and the 3-month Stadia Pro membership is no longer included