Sony is making an update to their game streaming service, PlayStation Now, soon. According to the PlayStation Blog, subscribers will soon be able to stream PS4 games to their devices, with a vague “2017” target for launch.
Current PlayStation Now subscribers will get a chance to test out the new offerings before future account-holders will get to, according to the blog, which adds that the ability to stream PS4 games will be added to any and all accounts once the feature fully goes live. As it stands now, users can stream a lineup of 483 PlayStation 3 titles to their PS4 console or PC, at a rate of $19.99 per month, although you can also pay for three months at a time for $44.99. The service was launched as a way for Sony to bring PS3 backward-compatibility to the PS4 without having to release a different version of the PS4 hardware, due to the PS3’s “cell processing” being rather hard to duplicate otherwise.
The service adds new titles every month, with a mixture of top-tier “AAA” titles alongside lesser-known releases, and the available library has been known to fluctuate over time, as the Assassin’s Creed PS3 titles have both appeared on and been removed from it. Top-rated titles available on PS Now include Red Dead Redemption, Batman: Arkham City, and the first three games in the Uncharted series.
It’s worth noting that PlayStation Now is different from Microsoft’s recently-announced Game Pass service, in that while both do offer subscription models for access to a large library of games, Game Pass allows users to download games to their hard drive, while PS Now is strictly about streaming content to your machine. For that reason alone, you’ll want to have a decently fast Internet connection that is at least 5 mbps, and you’ll also want to have your PS4 or PC connected to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, as my own testing via WiFi has seen some input lag and spotty visual quality.
Published: Mar 13, 2017 12:55 pm