Google Stadia has endured a rough opening, but it appears that Google is trying to remove one of the shackles of its game streaming service with the latest version of the app.

9to5Google has decompiled the latest version (3.15) of the Stadia app and discovered an experimental feature called "bridge mode." This allows members to play on their TVs in two ways: using the phone's touchscreen to control the action without the official Stadia controller, or connecting a separate gamepad to the phone and using that.

The site does not reveal whether the latter requires a wired connection, but those who want the best experience would be better off using a cable anyway; when connected via Bluetooth, signals from the pad to the phone to the Chromecast bounces, which adds another layer of delay.

This seems like an important step. Currently, the only way to officially play Stadium on a TV is with the previous generation Chromecast Ultra ($70) and the official Stadium Gamepad ($69).

However, this update could make it possible to play Stadia on older versions as well as the latest hardware. It also means that anyone with a Chromecast Ultra can play Stadia without having to buy a gamepad, which is one less barrier to entry.

However, this still seems "too little, too late". From the lack of support for the latest Chromecast hardware to the closure of two first-party game studios earlier this year, there are many reasons to suspect that Google's consensus is no longer in Stadia.

Google puts on a brave face by promising to offer more than 100 games in 2021, but a critical glance at the list of revealed titles does not exactly inspire confidence. There are exceptions, such as "Resident Evil Village" and "Cyberpunk 2077" being offered to stadia members, but for the most part, the library lacks the triple-A status of a dedicated console or gaming PC.

And with GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass Streaming offering serious competition along with a clear commitment to long-term support, even with this very welcome news, a Stadia subscription in 2021 It would be a brave man who would take it.