Since the launch of Google Stadia, Google has added more games, achievements, and Google Assistant features. However, there is no denying that the game streaming service still lacks many important features.

Google has promised to address some more of Stadia's weaknesses in the first half of 2020. Whether these upgrades will turn Stadia from a curiosity to a top runner is anyone's guess.

The Google Stadia team published a blog post on January 16, outlining its plans for first quarter improvements to the platform. Over the next three months, Stadia users can expect to see 4K support for the web browser, more Google Assistant commands, expanded support for Android phones (at this time, games can only be played on the Pixel line), and a Stadia controller for Wireless web browser play can be expected. These are all good features, three of which probably should have been in place at launch.

Google also plans to expand Stadia's game lineup. By the end of the year, there should be over 120 games available. More interestingly, Google is "targeting more than 10 games in the first half of this year alone, which will only be available on Stadia at launch." In other words, there will be 10 timed-exclusive games available on Stadia, but it is not clear what they will be or at what rate they will subsequently appear on other platforms.

Judging by the reaction to this post, Stadia fans seem pleased with the announcement and eager to continue using the service. The official Stadia Reddit also continues to receive mostly positive responses, although Google employees on Twitter are not quite sure how to reply to memes.

Still, overall, the stadium is a fairly niche product. While it is difficult to get solid numbers, Stadia's Destiny 2 player count has declined considerably since launch. Perhaps Stadia simply attracted a larger audience with its single-player title, but it is more likely that the player base is not huge to begin with.

Nevertheless, Stadia has implemented many features to increase its player base. It is now possible to access Stadia from any Chromecast Ultra, not just the devices that were included in the early adopter Stadia bundle. In addition, Google is offering an additional Buddy Pass to Stadia Pro subscribers to help spread the service to players who are unsure about it. (The Buddy Pass gives three months of free access to Stadia Pro, and Stadia Pro includes several free games.)

Stadia's success in 2020 will likely depend on what games it can offer and how quickly it can achieve parity on TVs, PCs, and smartphones. And if they can offer a few exclusive titles in the process, even better.