Search and software giant Google has made its Stadia streaming service free for the next two months.

In a blog post, VP and GM of the company's Stadia arm Phil Harrison (pictured) wrote that the premium Pro tier could be played free of charge for eight weeks.

The exec says that this is being rolled out across 14 countries, though doesn't name which ones. After the two month period is finished, users will have to pay $9.99 per month to access the Pro tier. They can also continue to play the free tier. 

Nominally the reason why Google has opted to roll this out now is due to the social distancing that is being encouraged around the world at the moment to slow and halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Due to the increased demand Google is anticipating on the Stadia service, the company has said that it is reducing the default screen resolution from 4K to 1080p to make sure that it isn't taking up too much bandwidth.

"We’re facing some of the most challenging times in recent memory," Harrison wrote.

"Keeping social distance is vital, but staying home for long periods can be difficult and feel isolating. Video games can be a valuable way to socialise with friends and family when you’re stuck at home, so we’re giving gamers in 14 countries free access to Stadia Pro for two months."

Google launched Stadia in November 2019 with a rather baffling release strategy that saw promised features not being present when it rolled out. The service wasn't mentioned once in the company's financial call for the period, which isn't a great indication as to how it is doing.