Google has started to test a new feature that allows launching some cloud games directly from search results.
Google Search has been acting as an aggregator of the major streaming services for years – if users want to watch a particular show, they can simply search for its name on Google and the search results will reveal that the show can be streamed from some apps, like Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu, or purchased from various stores.
And recently, Google apparently started testing a similar feature for games allowing some users to start playing a game with a single click from a search result, and it is not limited to Google’s own Stadia platform.
Those users who are enrolled in the test and search for a game on one of the platforms now see a Play button in the information panel – this button either instantly launches a title or takes users to a landing page on the respective streaming platform.
The test was first spotted by The Nerf Report’s Bryant Chappel who noticed that the new feature allows users to directly launch a game on Stadia and works with Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud Gaming as well. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now is also included in testing, however, according to Chappel, not every game presented on this cloud gaming service has this functionality.
Apart from this, as noted by The Verge, to use this feature in full action, users have to be logged into an account that’s associated with these cloud gaming services – otherwise, they'll be directed to a signup page.
According to 9to5Google which saw this feature as well, the search results can also show if a game has a timed trial on a platform or if it’s available for free or as part of a premium subscription.
Besides, 9to5Google noted that search results made on desktop and on mobile can differ – searching for some titles on Android can only bring a result for Stadia, while the same search on desktop may show several cloud gaming services where these games are available.
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