Stadia rolls out a highly-requested direct streaming feature on YouTube

What you need to know

• Stadia has added support for 4K streaming on YouTube at up to 60fps and in HDR.
• It's likely that the new resolution capping is determined by the game you're playing.
• The higher streaming resolution begins automatically, so there is no need for you to do anything.

Stadia's direct YouTube streaming capability was launched last year, allowing players to stream from the Stadia web app directly to YouTube with no additional software requirements. Now, the feature has picked up a highly-requested upgrade.

As per a Twitter user who goes by the name Nohinn, you can now stream your Stadia gameplay directly to YouTube in 4K resolution (via 9to5Google). The stream also supports up to 60 frames per second and HDR. Previously, the stream was limited to 1080p at 60 frames per second, regardless of whether the title supported higher resolution.

However, it appears that the new stream quality is heavily influenced by the game being played. A screenshot shared by Nohinn, for example, reveals resolution options up to 1440p at 60fps, while another user revealed a Red Dead Redemption streaming quality of 2160p at 60fps.

It also appears that when you start playing any of the best Stadia games, the 4K streaming quality is automatically activated. This means you won't have to change anything to get the feature to work. You can see that for yourself by hitting the cogwheel icon at the bottom-right of the player after starting your stream. Select the "Quality" option to check the resolution cap for your stream.

It took a long time for Google to add the feature to its game streaming platform: it arrived a year after official support for direct streaming was added. Regardless, it should be a welcome improvement for those who use Stadia's direct streaming capability.