Best answer: Yes. Through Stadia's Stream Connect technology, people will be able to play local couch multiplayer with various split-screen displays available.
- Bring couch co-op back: Chromecast Ultra ($69 at Amazon)
- Play the right way: Stadia Controller ($69 at Google Store)
What is Stream Connect?
Stream Connect is Google's way of bringing local multiplayer experiences back. Because modern games have become so intensive, consoles can no longer render two or more scenes simultaneously on the same screen. Stadia, however, is not a console, and since its clients reside in the cloud, this power issue should be a thing of the past. Each screen on a split screen view will be powered by a separate Stadia instance, ensuring that game performance does not take a massive hit as the technology attempts to render everything.
What makes it different from traditional split screen?
Its on-stage demo shows that Stream Connect goes above and beyond what your standard split screen view can do. On demand, players can pull up individual streams of others on their squad and use any part of their display's surface to do so. The demo shows an example of two mini streaming windows opened up on either top corner of the main screen. Google's Erin Hoffman-John said, "We've shown you three views, but we could keep going. We can keep adding streams and shape how they're shown to the player."
What about online multiplayer?
You've got nothing to worry about in that regard should it work as intended. Google's data centers and infrastructure will give developers the ability to create worlds that can house hundreds of players at once.
Stream locally with your friends
With Google's Chromecast Ultra and Stadia's Stream Connect technology, you can start playing with your friends in local split screen experiences that you enjoyed so much as a child.
Play the right way
The Stadia Controller is all you need to use Stadia if you already have the Chromecast Ultra. You can also use it on your other devices, adding to its functions.
