Unfortunately, the Stadia version of Madden NFL 21 does not include any Stadia exclusive features, such as State Share, Crowd Play, or anything like that. When it comes to the basics of playing though, you can finish an entire game on Stadia using just touchscreen controls if you really wanted or at the very least do some management functions like admin work or go through trade offers. I'm still frustrated that I can't remap or change where the buttons are on my screen since doing things like holding R2 to sprint are awkward when you'd like to also be able to cover up the ball before an impact or quickly juke with the right stick. Remarkably, Madden is actually quite playable using touchscreen controls once you get accustomed to where the virtual buttons are located.
I played Madden NFL 21 on Chromecast through my 4K TV, on PC in a Microsoft Edge Browser, and on mobile both with the Razer Kishi and using just touchscreen controls.
Source: Android Central (Image credit: Source: Android Central) Since this is a game you can play solo, online, or locally with friends on the same Stadia connection (via Chromecast with multiple Stadia controllers or on mobile or a PC browser with multiple controllers plugged in), it's impossible to know just how much data it will suck up since hours will vary for everyone.
If you're aiming to play Madden NFL 21 with Stadia Pro at 4K then you're likely looking at around 16-20GB of data usage per hour. In terms of data usage, it will of course vary based on your quality settings. But for those without that option, data usage is a big factor for Stadia games. Personally, I pay an extra fee to have unlimited data on my personal home network.
Google recommends at least 10Mbps download speed for 720p streaming, 20Mbps download speed for 1080p streaming, and at least 35Mbps download speed for 4K streaming.
They must have changed the net code for how kicking is handled or something because even on PS4 and PS5 I was having issues hitting kicks just right and those issues persist in the Stadia version.įortunately, the Stadia version of Madden NFL 21 plays great and looks fantastic.Īccording to a SpeedTest I've got a 599Mbps download speed, 12Mbps upload speed, and 14ms of ping on Comcast XFINITY as I write this. This year it's worse than usual so you should absolutely expect to miss a few field goals and extra points. Anytime you play Madden online kicking does suffer from minor latency issues, but that's the case across all versions of the game - not just Stadia. As is the norm now with the Stadia version of AAA games, it plays wonderfully and doesn't have any noticeable issues with lag or latency if your connection is good enough. Madden NFL 21 Stadia review Stadia performance and comparisonsįortunately, the Stadia version of Madden NFL 21 plays great and looks fantastic. Now let's dive into the differences on Stadia. Buying the game on Stadia could show EA there is interest in more of their sports titles coming to the platform, which is an overall good thing, it's just too bad Madden couldn't have a better entry to serve as its debut.įor a more in-depth analysis of the game itself, check out our Madden NFL 21 review over on Windows Central. The reality of Madden is that if you are craving an NFL football experience then you don't really have any other options. The new mode, The Yard, attempts to be an arcade-style pick-up-and-play experience, but is so watered down it fails to deliver.
Voice acting is poor across the board, character animations are stiff in cutscenes, and just as things start to get interesting it more or less ends and dumps you into a merry-go-round of scripted moments during your career. The story mode this year, Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame, is awful. The biggest disappointment with Madden NFL 21 is the Franchise mode. This means the new playcalling features, improved visuals, streamlined animations, and 'Next-Gen Stats' integration features are all absent.
Plus, the version we get on Stadia isn't even the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S version of the game, it's the PlayStation 4 / Xbox One version. Other than a few tweaks to how things like offseason drafts and trades are handled, it's literally identical to last year's Madden. The biggest disappointment with Madden NFL 21 though is the Franchise mode.