Google Extends Deadline to Activate Bluetooth on its Stadia Controller

Google is giving people who still have a Stadia controller another year to activate Bluetooth on it to enjoy wireless play on other devices. Google’s Bluetooth update tool for the Stadia controller, which the company made available back in January, was initially said to be only available until December 31, 2023. However, Google has now quietly updated the dedicated support page (via Eurogamer) to announce an extension of this deadline to the end of 2024.

The Stadia controller used to connect to Google’s now-deprecated Stadia cloud gaming service via Wi-Fi. While Stadia was still alive, I got a free Stadia controller and a Chromecast 4K with my YouTube Premium subscription, and there are probably still a lot of unused Stadia controllers out there.

While the controller could already be used on other devices via a USB-C connection, playing wirelessly with Bluetooth is much more convenient. But again, Bluetooth functionality is disabled on the Stadia controller unless you use Google’s web-based tool to enable it.

To enable Bluetooth on a Stadia controller, you need to connect it to a Mac or PC with a USB cable, and then navigate to stadia.google.com/controller on Chrome version 108 or later. You’ll then need to follow the on-screen instructions to enable Bluetooth mode on the controller.

The Stadia controller should work wirelessly with devices with a Bluetooth Low Energy adapter. Google specifically tested it on Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Chrome OS, and Android, but I also managed to connect it to my Apple TV 4K without any issues. Build quality is actually pretty good, though if you’re used to Xbox controllers, the PlayStation-like thumb stick placement may take some time to get used to.