The Stadia app for Android received an update to version 3.2, containing another sample from Project Hailstorm and progress towards voice chat, Android TV and more.
About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we decompile the latest version of an app that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we can see several lines of code within this tip for possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not provide these features, and our interpretation of what they may be imperfect. We will try to enable those who are closer to completion, however, to show how they will look if they are sent. With that in mind, keep reading.
This morning, the Stadia app for Android started releasing an update to version 3.2, a significant jump from the previous version number, 2.52. Although the update itself doesn’t seem to change anything obvious, under the surface, Google has been working on a number of projects and improvements.
Hailstorm Project
Starting with the news everyone is undoubtedly interested in, Stadia 3.2 does contain an additional provocation from Project Hailstorm, a mysterious effort that appears to be coming soon from Google Stadia.
Let Project Hailstorm by Stadia take your gaming experience to the next level.
Notably, this text specifies “your games experience. “This discredits one of our previous assumptions that Stadia’s Hailstorm Project could be a way to run applications as a video editor on Stadia servers. Instead, Hailstorm is clearly related to games.
It is important to note that Stadia 3.2 also seems to include code to start working on Hailstorm, with two distinct mentions of it.
createHailstormRequest
enableProjectHailstorm
Voice chat
One of the main features missing from Stadia for Android is that you can’t participate in parties or use voice chat in the game. Stadia 3.2 continues to work towards voice chat on Android, including work to offer separate volume levels for voice chat in games and group voice chat.
Voice chat volume (game)
Voice chat volume (party)
More specifically, this should mean that you can put your friends in the group chat at a reasonable volume, while the in-game voice chat offered by games like Destiny 2 remains at a much lower level.
Android TV
In front of Android TV, Google included a pair of built-in “flags” – switches used by application developers to test features before launching them or even to launch new features at some point after an update goes live – related to Android TV.
The first flag suggests that Google is working on a way to report problems with Stadia’s Android TV experience. We’re not sure if this would be used by the average player or if it’s just for Google’s own testing process.
enableTvClientPlayabilityIssuesUi
The second sign indicates that Google is working to better integrate Stadia into the Android TV app purchase flow, making it easier for you to buy games or add-ons right from your TV.
enableAtvWalletIntegration
In the meantime, our Ben Schoon diligently checked Stadia 3.2 on Android TV and there doesn’t seem to be any noticeable change in the experience so far. The same applies to Chromecast with Google TV. The performance of the application appears, in general, the same, and the option of linking the Stadia controller has not yet emerged.
Keyboard and mouse support
Similar to the way flags were added for Android TV, there is also a new flag related to playing Stadia games on Android with a keyboard and mouse. We are not sure yet if this is for players to connect a keyboard and mouse to the Android phone or if it is an additional preparation for Android TV.
enableKeyboardMouseInput
Right-to-left languages
Last year, Stadia was expanded to a new set of European countries, including Austria, Hungary and Portugal. Stadia 3.2 makes a much small change that may point to a new set of languages and regions with support for Stadia.
Specifically, Stadia has set “android: supportedRtl” to true, which means that the app should now be one step closer to supporting right-to-left languages such as Arabic, Hebrew and Urdu. Obviously, much more work still needs to be done before any of these languages or their regions are properly supported by Stadia.
Stadia 3.2 also includes an interesting error message, which points to a promotion scheduled to take place sometime in July.
Sorry, this code can only be redeemed during the month of July.
From this, we can deduce that there may be a special code that you can redeem at Stadia that must be sent sometime in July. Unfortunately, there are no clues as to what this code is for or who should rescue it – average players, content creators, event participants, etc.
Another interesting thing that we can deduce from this is that the Stadia app for Android will soon be able to obtain the redemption code functionality that was previously only available in the Stadia web app.
Email notification settings
Today, in the Stadia app for Android, you can enable or disable multiple push notifications for things like new Stadia Pro games, new features and invitations to games / parties / friends. With Stadia 3.2, Google is working to provide email notifications from Stadia that can be configured in the app.
All email updates
Stadia store promotions
New discounts on games and game content
Stadia updates
Information about Stadia hardware, features, services and offers
Stadia marketing research
Help improve Stadia hardware and related services
56k Modem gag
With Stadia version 2.52, Google included some truly ridiculous texts in the app, referring to the ability to stream games over a 56k modem connection – something that is literally impossible. Stadia 3.2 takes the gag a step further, sharing that 56k modem support can offer “the best gaming experience”.
Stadia took advantage of the latest in amplitude modulation transmission technology to offer the ultimate gaming experience.
It must be interesting to see how that particular gag unfolds, probably on April Fool’s Day 2021.
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