You can play Google Stadia without a physical controller by using on-screen touch controls or your device’s touchscreen as a virtual controller. Here are the main ways to do this:
- On Android phones and tablets: Stadia supports native on-screen touch controls that overlay virtual buttons on the screen, allowing you to play without a controller. This works on most modern Android devices with the Stadia app installed. However, these touch controls can feel cluttered and may not be ideal for games requiring precise or fast inputs
- TouchStadia workaround: A JavaScript-based method called TouchStadia adds a virtual controller overlay on any touch-enabled device running Stadia in desktop mode on Chrome. This allows playing Stadia games on Android phones without a controller, mimicking the Stadia controller layout. This is a user-created workaround and may require some manual setup
- Using your phone as a controller for Chromecast: With Stadia’s “bridge mode” feature, you can use your phone’s touchscreen as a controller when playing Stadia games on a Chromecast Ultra connected to a TV. This lets you play without the official Stadia controller, as your phone sends inputs over Wi-Fi to the game running on the TV
- Playing on a computer or laptop: Stadia can be played directly in the Chrome browser without a controller by using mouse and keyboard or the on-screen controls if on a touchscreen device. Most standard controllers also work if you prefer physical input
In summary, you do not need a physical controller to play Stadia. On Android devices, the built-in touch controls or the TouchStadia overlay provide controller-free play, though gameplay experience may vary. On Chromecast, you can use your phone’s touchscreen as a controller via bridge mode. On computers, mouse and keyboard or touch input can be used without a controller
