Google Stadia controller finally works wirelessly with Android phones

(Image credit: Google)

If you've been looking to stream games to your phone using Google Stadia and the Stadia Controller up until now, you've had to pair your devices using a charging cable. Not any more!

The Google Stadia Controller now finally works wirelessly with Android phones, meaning that you can play your titles on the go without the need for a tethering cable between the two.

You'll need the latest version of the Stadia mobile app for this to work, and you'll have to make sure both controller and handset are on the same Wi-Fi connection. But once that's done, you'll be streaming away wirelessly.

Stadia improvements

It's a handy update, not least of all because it frees your phone's charging port during play, letting you hook it up to a wall for extended sessions.

Google Stadia is slowly improving as a service, with the breadth of its gaming catalogue growing, its Pro subscription offering improving, and its hardware getting the features that were promised at launch. As well as a wider array of Android phones being fully supported, all new-ish Android handsets can use Stadia in an 'experimental' mode, while the controller's Google Assistant button finally can be used – if not in the 'get-gaming-tips' way that was initially teased.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.