Google Test Lets Users Launch Cloud Games From Search Results

Google appears to be testing making cloud-enabled games directly accessible from search results. The new experiment appears to support various cloud gaming platforms including Google Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, and Nvidia’s GeForce Now.

Cloud gaming enthusiast Bryant Chappel seems to have been the first to notice Google’s test and shared videos of how the experience works on Twitter (via The Verge). Here’s an example with a Google Stadia game, Control, that Chappel could launch right from Google’s search results.

It looks like the Google search engine has a new update for cloud gaming platforms!!!

When searching for a game players can now launch a game directly from the search results utilizing @GoogleStadia. pic.twitter.com/xblOsBpF6O

— Bryant Chappel (@BryantChappel) August 11, 2022

It seems that Google is currently testing this new cloud gaming integration in search results with a limited number of users. However, it’s not clear if the company is doing A/B testing or made the feature available too early. Anyway, this kind of seamless integration of cloud gaming services in search engines makes sense, and it’s also good to see that Google isn’t playing favorites with its own Stadia service.

Google, Microsoft, and other cloud gaming competitors would surely love to make the experience of trying cloud-based games as frictionless as possible. However, The Verge, which also got briefly access to the experiment this week, reported that users who aren’t already signed in to cloud gaming services will be greeted with a signup page when clicking on the “Play” button in Google Search results.

Google’s own Stadia game streaming service may have struggled to get real momentum since launch, but it could probably benefit from this test. Earlier this year, the service also added a selection of free, time-limited “Click to Play” demos, though you do need to create a free Stadia account to try them.