Players buying the Founder's Edition will get a special blue controller,rather than the standard white.
At launch the only way to play Stadia,assuming you're in a supported country like the US or the UK,is to buy the $US129.99 Founder's Edition,which includes a Chromecast Ultra,a Stadia Controller and three months of Stadia Pro each for two users. In 2020 Google will launch Stadia Base,which is completely free to access but you have to buy all your games and can only stream in HD and stereo sound.
As for the kind of internet connection you'll need to play games on Stadia,Google indicated it would work at a 5Mbps download speed (the same minimum for streaming Netflix),but it recommended a minimum of 10Mbps to ensure 60 frames per second performance. Streaming in HD and 60 frames per second with 5.1 channel sound will require around 20Mbps,while 35Mbps will give you the best Stadia experience possible. The company said not to expect a smooth experience on mobile internet at launch,but that should improve as 5G networks expand.
Google recommends at least a 10Mbps download speed for gaming at 60 frames per second.
As the data being sent from the player to the game are mostly button inputs,Stadia only requires 1Mbps upload speeds,which is certainly good news for a theoretical future Australian launch. This is true even in an intensive multiplayer game or if you're simultaneously streaming your game to YouTube (a feature coming in the future),as these connections stay on Google's end and not the player's.
Google's announcements come immediately before the E3 games expo kicks off in Los Angeles,where Microsoft is expected to reveal details of its own xCloud game streaming service. Sony is also ramping up to expand its PlayStation Now (and the company recently signed a high-level deal to use Microsoft's server infrastructure for the task),Apple is laying the groundwork for a service with its upcoming Apple Arcade and there's evidence Amazon is preparing to throw its hat in the ring as well.