How can Google Stadia owners request a refund before the service officially shuts down?

Google recently announced that it will be shutting down Stadia, its cloud gaming platform, in early 2023.

Many people might not be surprised to hear that Google is shutting down yet another one of its services. However, since Stadia isn't a free-to-use service from the tech giant, it becomes a liability for those who invested in dedicated peripherals, apart from the monthly fee.

One lingering question that players have regarding Google's apparent shutdown of the cloud gaming service is whether they will get refunds for purchases made through the dedicated store. The company has provided a few statements regarding the refunds, timings, and eligibility.

Here's everything players need to know about requesting a refund for Google Stadia.

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Google will issue refunds for all Stadia hardware and software purchases made through the dedicated storefront

Google's official statement

Google has confirmed that it will offer refunds for all hardware and software purchases that players have made through the Stadia store. This includes controllers, games, and in-game purchases.

"We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store."

However, Google is yet to disclose any information regarding purchases made through third-party retailers such as Best Buy. This could be a cause of concern for players who might not have purchased their controllers from the official Google store.

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Which Stadia peripherals or services won't get refunded?

The only service that players won't get a refund on (so far) is Stadia Pro subscriptions, which offer upgrades like 4K, HDR, and 5.1 surround sound support. Subscribers also get access to a library of games.

Considering that it is a subscription-based service, it is very likely that Google won't charge customers beyond the date it decides to phase out its cloud gaming service.

However, as a precautionary step, players can manually cancel their subscriptions before the service is shut down.

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How to request a refund for Google Stadia

Google has not disclosed the exact process of requesting a refund for the cloud gaming service and the peripherals associated with it. However, players can refer to the company's return policies for purchases made via the official storefront.

Returning the hardware

Google's digital storefront has a 15-day return policy, which users can access via the order history page on their account.

Once they verify that their purchase is no older than 15 days, they can contact Google to request a refund for it.

Returning game and add-ons purchased through Google store

Much like Steam, Google follows a 14-day return policy for digital game purchases on their cloud gaming platform. Any game that players have for less than two weeks and have not played for more than two hours can be refunded without much hassle.

Requesting refund using Stadia's official website

Here are the steps players can follow to request a refund for their digital purchases of both hardware and games via the official website:

• Go to the cloud gaming service's official website and log in using their Google account.
• Click on their avatar icon.
• Select "Settings."
• Go into "Purchases & subscriptions."
• Go to the "Transaction history" section and select the item you want to return.
• Select "Request Refund" and follow the instructions.

Requesting a refund using the official app

Here are the steps players can follow to request a refund using the official app of Google's cloud gaming service:

• Open the cloud gaming service's official app.
• Tap on their avatar on top.
• Hit Purchases & Subscriptions.
• Go to the Transaction history section and select the item you want to return.
• Select Request Refund and follow the instructions.

It should be noted that these steps are exclusively for purchases made through Google's official storefront. They are not applicable for peripherals bought from third-party vendors or Google's physical stores.

As for how long the refund will take to reflect on the user's end, it depends on the payment method used and Google's processing times.

Here are the estimates given by Google:

Europe and UK refund times:

• Credit or debit card: Three to five working days.
• Google Play balance: One working day.
• PayPal: Three to five working days.
• iDEAL: One to ten working days.
• My paysafecard: Three to five working days.

Rest of the world:

• Credit or debit card: Three to five working days.
• Google Play balance: One working day.
• PayPal: Three to five working days.

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Google will shut down its cloud gaming service on January 18, 2023. Thus, those still using the subscription-based service should acquaint themselves with the company's refund process post haste.