Google Hid The Konami Code On Stadia's Controller, And It Does A Little Trick

Google made big news recently during GDC, when it finally unveiled its widely expected cloud gaming service. Stadia, as it's known, will allow you to stream games to virtually any device, regardless of computing power, and the company insists latency won't be an issue. But Google isn't known for its place in the gaming industry, and perhaps to ingratiate itself with game fans, it's hidden a small wink to gaming's past on the cloud service's optional controller: the Konami code.

As confirmed by GameSpot' sister site CNET, the floor model of the controller shown at GDC has the Konami code engraved on it. You can see the engraving in the tweet below. But that code actually serves a minor purpose beyond the aesthetic value.

You can go to Stadia's website and actually input the Konami code with your computer keyboard to find a cool Easter egg: a 3D model of the new controller. You can spin the controller around on your screen in order to get a better idea as to how it's shaped. For those who don't know, the full Konami code is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, start. You only need to input the first 10 keys, however, to see the controller model on Stadia's website. Just open up the site and type those keys in to make it happen.

The Konami code engraving isn't the only unique aspect of Stadia's controller. It also comes with a share button that allows you to upload footage straight to your YouTube channel. Another button allows you to ask Google Assistant a question at anytime. Stadia's controller links to the platform via Wi-Fi as well.

During the Google keynote, the company described Stadia as a platform meant to unify players, spectators, and developers. So, for example, you'll be able to watch a YouTube trailer for a game and then, if you want, just start playing said title via cloud streaming within a few seconds. Stadia will feature cross-platform support as well, allowing you to play with others regardless of system. As Stadia will support cloud saves for game state and save files, it should have cross-platform progression for specific games as well.

At launch, Stadia will stream games up to 4K HDR at 60 FPS, and Google has scheduled plans to increase that threshold to 8K resolution. Stadia is scheduled to release sometime this year and will be supported across several platforms, including desktops, laptops, TVs, tablets, and phones. In an interview with GameSpot, Ubisoft chief executive officer Yves Guillemot said that Stadia should be viewed as a platform that exists alongside consoles and PCs, and not a replacement. For now, anyway.

You can read up on how cloud gaming works if you have additional questions about it, and also see which companies are making the largest strides and investing the most time and resources behind it. We've collected all of the Google gaming news announced during the GDC keynote too--including the reveal that Doom Eternal will release on Stadia. We've captured gameplay of Doom Eternal on Stadia as well if you want to know what it looks like.