TL;DR
- Stadia controllers feature a Tandem Mode that supported a second, wired USB gamepad.
- Tandem Mode still works after converting Stadia controllers to Bluetooth.
- By removing all the gamepad hardware, the circuit board can be used as a USB to Bluetooth adapter.
In 2026, Stadia is well and truly dead. Google’s ambitious game-streaming platform announced plans to shut down in mid-2022, and in early 2023 the servers finally went offline. For the past few years, ex-users have at least been able to salvage their old Stadia gamepads by flashing new firmware that allows them to connect over Bluetooth — but Google has now stopped making that available. If you’ve got any Stadia gamepads collecting dust, we’ve spotted a pretty cool DIY project that might just appeal to a lot of retro gamers.
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