PGA Tour 2K21 on Stadia is a Great Experience

In general, the majority of my video game purchases on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch are always physical, and it’s for one simple reason – my Internet, while passable, still takes a while to download 30+ GB games. Enter Stadia – and soon xCloud – where I can play games on my Internet, with no download required. That’s how I played most next-gen games now, and I’m loving it.

My previous experiences with PGA Tour 2K21 was with the Nintendo Switch version (our full review here), and while the golfing experience was fun, there were a number of downsides to playing on Nintendo Switch. There are graphical downgrades to improve performance, and some things that aren’t even present in the Switch version, such as crowds. While it rarely impacts the golf experience – as the game play is still fantastic on Nintendo Switch – there are moments that feel like a letdown. Imagine being on the 18th green, tied with your competition, needing to sink a putt. 10 times out of 10, having the crowd roar when you sink the putt is much more satisfying than the sounds of birds chirping. That’s just the reality.

Golf games require fantastic frame rate and an Internet connection when streaming it straight to my phone, and with my 40mb down Internet, I was worried the golfing experience would suffer. This is a thought I frequently have when playing games on Stadia, but it was more pronounced this time around because of the nature of the game. But even with 40 mb down Internet, things performed much better than expected. I had a few issues as the ball flew through the air (some pop-in of trees, hazards, and crowds), but when it came to swinging, it never failed me. And utlimately, if the game is going to fail in a few places, it cannot be while you are swinging.

And on Stadia, that never was a problem. Swinging was always smooth and clean, and although I’d love to blame my poor golf shots on some technical game glitches, I sadly cannot. It’s just my own, poor form.

While I preferred PGA Tour 2K21 on my Nintendo Switch up until trying the Stadia port, because of portability, I think when playing within my home, I’ll default to my Stadia version of the game. Unfortunately all inclusive data plans are not an option in Canada – at least not affordable – so my Switch version will still be my go-to when away from home.

PGA Tour 2K21 is an excellent experience on Google Stadia, and a great way to play without worrying about install times and update downloads. The game is always ready when you are, never hindering your ability to play. That’s pretty amazing in my books.