Google is facing a potential class action lawsuit that alleges the company lied about Stadia’s display quality and resolution to lock in subscribers. The case was brought to our attention by ClassAction.org, which shared a 42-page breach-of-contract lawsuit containing the claim that Google Vice President and Stadia Product Manager Phil Harrison assured prospective owners that Stadia’s entire library would support 4K resolution at launch. Evidently, that promise did not materialize.
“Directly prior to Stadia’s launch, Google quietly walked back claims with regard to the platform’s ability to play every game in 4k resolution, particularly for those with slower internet connections,” ClassAction.org reported. “As a result of its false and misleading claims, Google was able to lock a large customer base into its subscription offerings through pre-orders, hooking gamers who essentially served as beta testers prior to Stadia’s wider free release in 2020.”
“Upon Stadia’s release […] media reports began to surface that the gaming service’s streaming quality and display resolution were not as strong as Google represented, and that many of the games did not have 4k resolution. The case claims Google eventually deleted a Twitter announcement about Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Stadia platform, a tweet that claimed a player did not need high internet speeds in order to enjoy the title in 4k/60fps.”
Bungie and id Software have also been named as defendants in the case filed by Jacqueline Shepherd on behalf of Stadia owners/subscribers who feel that they were deceived into purchasing a platform that wasn’t actually capable of delivering a consistent 4K experience. Google had already attempted to resolve the issue with a $10 coupon that could be applied toward the purchase of a game on Stadia, but the plaintiff is now seeking monetary damages.