Google Stadia: 10 Questions We Need Answering ASAP
4. What Kind Of Internet Connection Is Required?
Much of the push-back against the Xbox One when it was revealed was due to the always-online requirements it was to enforce. Millions of gamers simply don't have good enough internet connections to sustain that reality.
Of course, all that was required for Microsoft's Xbox One was a minimal connection for the system to ping the internet every day. Stadia will require a beefier connection.
In fact, Phil Harrison said in interviews following the keynote that the numbers aren't concrete yet, but at least 30 MBPS download will be required for 60FPS, 4K streaming.
Those aren't bad numbers all things considered, but they are still higher than many countries can offer. There are large parts of America, Europe, Asia, and South America that cannot sustain those kinds of internet speeds, making the service unavailable to them. Harrison recognised that fact in an interview; "We know that our internet bandwidth requirements won't reach everybody day one. There's nothing I can promise that will change that. But we'll work hard to reduce the bandwidth required and increase the quality."
So basically, this is a service that isn't for everyone right now, but Google will continue to make it available to more people.