Meet the Stadia Controller

Top view of Stadia controller with Menu, Capture, Assistant, Options, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, Left Trigger, and Right Trigger highlighted

Stadia controller with direction pad, direction sticks, face buttons, status light and Stadia button highlighted

Bottom of Stadia controller with the microphone, headset jack and label plate highlighted.

Buttons and controls

Stadia button Stadia button

The Stadia button has a built-in status light, and is used to turn on the Stadia platform and access menus.
To do this... Do this
Turn on the Stadia platform

Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for 1 second until the controller vibrates.

Note: To turn on Stadia, you must first link your controller to the screen you want to use.

Open the Stadia menu to:

  • See your profile information
  • Check your Wi-Fi connection status
  • Adjust audio levels
  • Start a party
  • View notifications
  • Exit game

Quickly press the Stadia button Stadia button once.

Note: Opening the profile menu does not pause your game.

Open the platform menu to:

  • Resume game
  • Turn the controller off
  • Exit game
  • Switch accounts
  • Shut down Stadia

Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for 1 second while the Stadia platform is on.

Note: Some options may only appear on some platforms. Opening the platform menu does not pause your game.

Turn the controller off

 Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for 4 seconds.

Re-enter linking mode

When the controller is off, press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for three seconds until it vibrates twice.


Note: This can be useful when switching screens wirelessly to another device. For example, switching between your TV and computer.
Turn the controller off (hard power down) Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for 8 seconds to turn the controller off (hard power down). This can be useful as a hard reset procedure if the controller becomes unresponsive. (Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for 1 second to turn the controller back on.)

Gameplay controls

Face buttons

A-button A button

B-button B button

X-button X button

Y-button Y button

These buttons are used for different actions depending on what game you're playing. The face buttons are often used for actions like running, jumping, or interacting with objects.

Shoulder buttons

Left bumper (L1)
L1 button

Left trigger (L2)
L2 button

Right bumper (R1)
R1 button

Right trigger (R2)
R2 button

These four buttons are located on the shoulders of the Stadia Controller. They're used for different actions depending on which game you're playing. The shoulder buttons are often used for actions like shooting, throwing, or controlling throttle and brakes.

The triggers are analog, so games can tell how far the trigger is pressed. This can be used for actions that require a variable amount of pressure, like gas pedals and brake pedals in racing games.

Direction pad

Up
Up button

Down
Down button

Left
Left button

Right
Right button

 This 8 directional D-pad is used to perform directional actions (up, down, left, right, or diagonal). The D-Pad is often used for menu selection, moving your character, or for fighting game actions and combos. However, the D-Pad can be used differently depending on what game you're playing.

Direction sticks

Left stick
Left stick
(L3)
L3

Right stick
R stick
(R3)
R3

The Stadia Controller has two 360° sticks. They're most commonly used to move your character or to move the camera view.

Both sticks can be pressed like a button. These "buttons" are called L3 and R3. Like other buttons, L3 and R3 have different uses depending on which game you're playing.

Other buttons

Menu
Stadia menu button
  • Access in-game menu
  • Pause supported games
  • May be used differently in some games.
Options
Stadia options button
  • Access in-game options menu
  • Pause supported games
  • May be used differently in some games
Assistant
Assistant button

Talk to the Google Assistant.

Note: You don't need to keep holding the button down while you speak. You must have Google Assistant enabled in your Stadia account to use Google Assistant on your controller.
Capture
Capture button
  • Press to save a screenshot
  • Hold to save a clip
Status light
Blinking white Blinking white light The controller is ready for you to enter the linking code. It will take several seconds to link after entering a code.
Solid white Solid white light The controller is on, linked to a screen and ready for gameplay.
Blinking orange Blinking orange light The controller needs to be set up with WiFi. Open the Stadia App and tap the controller icon to set the controller up on your WiFi network.
Blinking orange and white Blinking white and orange light New software is being applied to your Stadia Controller. The controller is not usable while this software is being applied.
White double blink White double pulse You've pressed the Assistant button Assistant button and the Assistant is ready to accept your query.
Solid orange Solid orange light The controller is charging. The status light will turn off when charging is complete.
Ports

Note: Stadia does not currently support headphone or headset connections via Bluetooth or USB-C port.

3.5mm Headphone jack and microphone

  • The 3.5mm headphone jack is located on the bottom of the Stadia Controller. You can plug wired headphones into the controller to listen to your game. The headphone jack works with headphones with or without a built-in microphone. If your headphones have a microphone, you can speak into it to use voice chat and Google Assistant on Stadia.
    Note: When using the headphone jack, you will not be able to play audio from your TV, computer, or mobile device.
  • The Stadia Controller has a microphone near the headset jack. With Google Assistant enabled, the mic will turn on when you press the Assistant button. When you can speak to the Assistant, the status light on your controller will blink in a series of two short flashes followed by a pause. You'll also see an Assistant indicator on the screen where you're playing.
    • When you plug a headset into your Stadia Controller and press the Assistant button, you'll have to speak to the Assistant using your headset's microphone.
    • Note: When you connect your Stadia Controller to your mobile device, or link to it wirelessly, you'll be able to hear voice chat when you connect a headset to your phone, but you won't be able to speak to others with your mobile device or headset.
  • The DualShock 4 Controller also supports audio input and output via a headset connected to the 3.5mm jack. For all other supported controllers, including mouse and keyboard, headsets must be connected directly to the computer or phone for audio input and output.

USB-C

  • Charge the Stadia Controller's battery by using a USB-C cable to plug into a power adapter or USB port on a computer.
  • Use a USB-C cable to connect the Stadia Controller to a computer or compatible phone for wired play.
  • To charge your controller from a computer's USB port during wireless game play on Chromecast Ultra, turn your controller on and link to a screen first, then plug in to the computer's USB port. To charge your controller during wireless gameplay on your computer or mobile device, plug it into a power adapter.

Critical software updates to your Stadia Controller

When critical software updates are released for your Stadia Controller, they will be applied automatically when it connects to Wi-Fi. Here's how it works:

  1. Press and hold the Stadia button Stadia button for one second to turn on your Stadia Controller.
  2. The Stadia button will slowly blink white for approximately 12 seconds while it connects to Wi-Fi.
  3. The Stadia button will blink orange and white while it applies the critical update. During this time you won't be able to use your controller.

You can also check if your Stadia Controller software is being updated:

  1. On your mobile device, open the Stadia app Stadia icon.
  2. Tap the Controller icon.

After any updates finish, your Stadia Controller will restart and the Stadia button will slowly blink white again for approximately 12 seconds while it reconnects to Wi-Fi.

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