Google is being asked to expand wireless support for Stadia Controller so it can live on

A growing number of Stadia owners are asking Google to ensure the Stadia Controller can be used once the platform have been shut down.

Yesterday, Google announced that Stadia will be laid to rest in January 2023. Notably, the company also explained that hardware purchases made through Google won't need to be returned in order to claim a refund.

That means there'll likely be a fair few Stadia Controllers out in the wild once the service has shut down, and that's something of a problem. At the time of writing, the gamepad can be used as a wired controller via USB-C on a number of platforms, but has limited wireless capabilities.

Although it's bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, the device can't currently be used wirelessly without Stadia or a compatible Chromecast device. Those restrictions have resulted in many owners calling on Google to liberate the gamepad so it can be used as a wireless controller across more platforms.

As spotted by Eurogamer, huge swathes of people have taken to the Google Stadia subreddit to ask Google to update the controller so it won't become redundant as soon as the service is axed.

A number of solutions are being offered up, with some owners requesting Google open source the controller's firmware so players can take on the task themselves. Others, however, want  Google to provide an official solution to ensure its hardware doesn't end up in the landfill.

Of course, it's worth reiterating that even without an update the Stadia Controller is already fairly versatile when used as a wired gamepad. So, even if the request for universal bluetooth support goes unanswered, at the very least it's worth keeping around as a backup option -- or perhaps simply as a testament to a bygone era.