Playstation Now, a subscription service which allows PC users to stream titles for Sony’s PlayStation series of consoles over the internet, will soon gain the capacity to stream PS4 titles as well, according to a recent blog post published by Sony. The addition of PS4 games to the platform will expand the service’s library of games, which currently stands at 483 titles, to include some of the newest and most highly sought-after games exclusive to the newest Sony console. Although Sony has not yet confirmed exactly which PS4 titles will be made available on the service, it’s possible that recent high-budget titles such as Uncharted 4 and Nioh could become available to those who are interested in playing these games but are unwilling to shell out the cash for yet another games console.
Sony hasn’t specified when exactly PS4 games will be available to all members of the Playstation Now service. Their blog post, however, mentioned that PS Now subscribers should “keep an eye on [their] email in case [they] get an invitation,” indicating that the company plans to roll out the availability of PS4 games to a small selection of users at first before making the feature more widespread. Additionally, the blog post mentioned that players who have both a PS4 and a subscription to Playstation Now would be able to synchronize their save data between their PC and their game console, allowing gamers to start a game on one platform and continue where they left off on the other.
Sony has not specified whether the price of the subscription service is set to change following the expansion of available titles. However, at present, the company offers a seven-day free trial for anyone who wishes to try the service out, after which point gamers will have to pay $19.99 per month in exchange for access to a selection of titles offered by the service, or by renting games on an individual basis.
Although this price may seem high for an online subscription, the variety and quality of titles offered by the service make it a viable option for many gamers, particularly those with a broad interest in games. Playstation Now currently provides access to a number of critically-acclaimed games which, at the time of their release, were available only on consoles or on the Playstation 3; these games include Rockstar’s open-world Western game Red Dead Redemption, 2013’s highly reviewed The Last of Us, the popular indie title Journey, and the long-running God of War series. Many who have tried the service have reported that while it isn’t perfect, it works well enough under ideal conditions to be worth the investment.
Although Playstation Now allows users to play Playstation games through their computer, the games users are playing aren’t actually installed on the PC’s hard drive; rather, they are hosted remotely on a server run by Sony, and the end-user’s computer simply sends button inputs to the server over the internet, which then feeds a video of what is happening in the game to the user’s monitor. This unusual approach to gaming has several major advantages and disadvantages: on the positive side, users have instant access to any title without having to download or install anything, and don’t have to worry about filling up their hard drive space or failing to meet individual games’ minimum technical requirements, but on the negative side, users must remain connected to the internet at all times, and, depending on the quality of their connection, may encounter lag or stuttering as they play. And, of course, Playstation Now subscriptions don’t actually own any of the games that they’re playing; as soon as their subscription ends, or Sony discontinues the service, access to these games could be lost forever.
Featured image via Wikimedia
