Up to its discontinuation on January 18, 2023, Google Stadia was perhaps the best cloud-gaming platform, enabling users to play their preferred video games on TVs, PCs, and smartphones without any installation, as well as take advantage of features like playing exclusive games, being able to continue your games across multiple devices, and many more.
If you own a Stadia Controller, you should be aware that even after Google Stadia was shut down, its controller could still be used with other devices to have a great gaming experience on them, thanks to the Bluetooth LE capabilities.
While the Stadia Controller previously supported only WiFi connectivity, Google has now made it possible to game wirelessly with your Stadia Controller using Bluetooth, giving the Controller a chance to double as a Bluetooth Controller and providing more flexibility and convenience to those who need to use it with other devices.
Hence, if you have a Stadia Controller and want to activate Bluetooth mode on it, this article will walk you through every detail needed to start using your Stadia Controller in Bluetooth mode. However, Google put up some caveats involved with this new feature, which we will discuss in this guide so you can use a Stadia controller as a Bluetooth controller.
What You’ll Need To Use Stadia Controller in Bluetooth Mode
In order to use Bluetooth Mode on a Stadia Controller, you must first activate the feature on it; how to do this will be covered in the subsequent section of this article.
Having the controller, a PC, preferably a Windows PC, with Chrome or another Chromium-based browser installed, and a USB-C cord to connect the Stadia controller to the PC are the only requirements needed to set up this Bluetooth mode on the controller. Also, it is required that you charge the Stadia Controller for at least 30 minutes so that you won’t have issues with the Bluetooth mode activation.
After the Bluetooth mode is activated on the Stadia controller, you now connect wirelessly with compatible devices using Bluetooth. According to Stadia, extensive testing of platform and service compatibility has not been done, however, computers need to have a Bluetooth Low Energy adapter to connect with the Stadia Controller in Bluetooth mode.
Meanwhile, the following devices work with the Google Stadia Controller Bluetooth mode:
- Windows 10 and 11 + Steam
- MacOS® 13 + Steam
- ChromeOS
- Android
- Steam Deck (SteamOS)
How to Use Stadia Controller in Bluetooth Mode
Activating Bluetooth Mode on a Stadia Controller basically involves downloading a software update that turns off the Stadia’s built-in WiFi connectivity and switches on Bluetooth connectivity, enabling you to use the controller as a wireless Bluetooth controller with supported devices. You can achieve this by carrying out the following steps.
- Open Chrome on your computer and visit the Stadia Controller page
Launch the latest version of Chrome or any other Chromium-based browser on your PC and visit stadia.google.com/controller.
- Click on Switch to Bluetooth mode
On the resulting webpage, click on Switch to Bluetooth mode.
- Tap Start to kick start the process
You will be prompted with the page to activate Bluetooth mode on Stadia Controller, where you should tap on Start under the Switch to Bluetooth mode.
- Accept the Terms of Service
Check the “I accept the Google Terms of Service” box and click Start.
- Connect your Stadia Controller with your computer
Now, you should plug your Stadia Controller into your computer using a USB data cable and click on Continue on the page afterward.
- Click Allow Chrome to verify
Click on the Allow Chrome to verify option, and you will be prompted with a device list from which you can select your Stadia Controller.
- Select your controller in the list
You should now select your Stadia Controller in the list, which might be labeled as Stadia Controller rev.A, USB COMPOSITE DEVICE, SP Blank RT Family or Bootloader, and click on Connect.
- Wait for verification
Wait for your controller to be verified and click on Next step.
- Unlock your controller
Afterward, you will be prompted to unlock your controller following the on-screen instruction. This will include unplugging the controller to power it off, holding down the three-dot button on your controller while plugging it back in, and pressing the three-dot + Stadia + A + Y buttons all at once on your controller. Tap on Next step at the bottom-right corner of the page.
- Download Bluetooth mode update
Click on Allow Chrome to download on the next page, select your controller again in the resulting device list (the controller may be labeled with a different name from what it was labeled earlier), and click on Connect.
- Install Bluetooth mode
After the download completes, you should click on Allow Chrome to install, select your controller again in the resulting device list, and tap on Connect.
The Bluetooth mode update should have been installed by the time after the last step, and your Stadia Controller can now be used as a Bluetooth controller. The controller can now be unplugged and paired with compatible devices.
Now that you’ve unlocked Bluetooth capabilities on your Google Stadia controller, you can pair it with other devices for use with Steam Link, NVIDIA GeForce Now, PlayStation Remote Play, Xbox Game Pass, or Amazon Luna.
How to Connect Stadia Controller With Other Devices Using Bluetooth
The devices confirmed by Google as compatible with the Bluetooth-enabled Stadia Controller have been mentioned earlier. So if you want to connect your Bluetooth-enabled Stadia Controller with any of these compatible devices, follow the steps below:
- Make the Stadia Controller discoverable by pressing and holding the X + Stadia buttons together until the Stadia button flashes orange light.
- Pick up the device you want to connect with, go to its Bluetooth Settings, and pair it with your Stadia controller.
- If the pairing is successful, the light on the Stadia button should change to white.
Note that the Bluetooth-enabled Stadia Controller automatically connects with the device last used with.
Things You Should Know About Stadia Controller Bluetooth Mode
The Stadia Controller’s Bluetooth mode has minor limitations but keeps most of its WiFi-enabled Stadia Controller’s functionality. Additionally, you need to be aware that not all features will work depending on the hardware compatibility of the connected device. The following are the things you should know about Bluetooth-enabled Stadia Controller:
- Switching is permanent: Once you switch to the Bluetooth mode on a Stadia controller, you can not reverse it to WiFi mode. However, you can still use the controller in wired mode.
- Audio is not supported in Bluetooth mode: The Stadia Controller can be connected with a wired headset for audio in WiFi mode, but once you switch to Bluetooth mode, it is no more supported. Hence, you will have to connect the headset using a USB to the controller’s device.
- Tandem mode is still supported: Tandem mode, which enables two Stadia controllers to be connected and used to control a game via a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, can still work flawlessly in Bluetooth mode.
- Switching to Bluetooth mode is only available till December 31, 2023
How to Use Stadia Controller as Bluetooth Controller – Final Words
Although Google allows those who bought Stadia Controller directly from them to return it and get a refund, you can still use this well-featured controller to have a great gaming experience with supported devices. This will require you to enable Bluetooth mode on your Stadia Controller, which we have covered in great depth in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions: Stadia Controller Bluetooth Mode
The methods listed below can be used to check your Stadia controller’s mode in order to see if Bluetooth mode is enabled:
1. Open Chrome browser and visit the Stadia Bluetooth mode page.
2. On the resulting page, click on Switch to Bluetooth mode.
3. You will be led to another page where you should click on Check under Check mode and updates section.
4. Check the box to accept the Terms of Service, then click on Start.
5. Use a USB-C cable to connect the Stadia controller to your PC, preferably a Windows computer.
6. Click on Continue followed by Allow to Chrome to verify to initiate the connection between your Chrome browser and your Stadia controller.
7. Select your Stadia controller from the list and click Connect at the bottom of the list window.
8. The page will start checking for updates; hence you should wait till it finishes.
9. The resulting page will indicate that your Stadia controller is in Bluetooth mode and if otherwise, you will also know on the page.
Note: These steps can also be used to check updates for your Stadia controller.
If you are having issues connecting the Stadia controller in Bluetooth mode with their devices, you must first make sure the device you are trying to connect with is compatible with the controller, as discussed earlier in this article. But if that is not the case, try the following fix:
1. Charge up the controller for at least 30 minutes.
2. Unplug the Stadia controller and hold the Stadia button on it for about ten seconds to reset it.1.
3. If the issue persists, after the troubleshooting above, you should factory reset the controller by holding the Google Assistant and Capture button for six seconds.
Once your Stadia controller has been switched to Bluetooth mode, WiFi connectivity cannot be restored. Therefore, since you can only use one of these wireless devices, choose the one that best meets your preferences.
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