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Should we get our hopes up again for cloud gaming?
"We, in no way, take credit for the idea." LiquidSky CEO Ian McLoughlin knows video game streaming isn't a new concept. For years, various companies have promised players they'd be able to load up any game on any device via cloud streaming. Play the latest Fallout on an Android tablet or boot up the new Witcher at max settings on a four-year-old MacBook Air. It sounds too good to be true, and since the early 2010s, it has been.
PlayStation Now will soon let you play anywhere you have a PC
Analysts have been predicted the death of game consoles for years -- and while they're usually wrong, PlayStation Now is the strongest living argument for a gaming industry without iterative hardware. Sony's internet-streaming games service puts PlayStation games on micro-consoles, full-sized PlayStation 4 machines and even standalone televisions. Today, Sony announced that the service is coming to an even wider platform: Windows.
PlayStation Now is a tech miracle, but it's no Netflix for games
Sony wants you to want PS Now, its Netflix-like game-streaming service. The problem is, the company doesn't seem to know how to build that desire. Though the recent app relaunch has seen the service's user interface improve considerably, the same can't be said for the user experience. I used PS Now on the PlayStation 4 almost exclusively for a week and by the time my seven-day trial was set to expire, I still couldn't find a compelling reason to pay for the service -- let alone recommend it to a friend. With Netflix, the value is apparent: $8 per month for on-demand access to thousands of movies and TV shows. Sure the visual and audio quality of that streaming library might not be on par with its Blu-ray counterparts, but the convenience outweighs any cons. For PS Now, that same trade-off isn't quite worth it.
PlayStation Now's streaming app wants to be Netflix for games
PlayStation Now's all-you-can-play game subscription service launched back in January on PlayStation 4, but the method for actually playing those games has been kind of a nightmare. Today's news of a dedicated subscription app might change that. Before this, every time you wanted to stream a new game, you had to go through the PlayStation Store, sift through a handful of menus, pick something (much like you would to purchase a game) and then hope that it even launched the first try. A streaming app that minimizes menu fatigue and works along the lines of a Netflix or Hulu actually makes a lot of sense here.
PlayStation game-streaming service comes to Samsung smart TVs in 2015
Sony isn't afraid to partner with competitors if it means getting PlayStation Now in more homes, apparently. The outfit just announced that it's teaming with Samsung to bake the PlayStation game-streaming service into some of the rival electronics giant's smart TVs starting next year. Sony says some 200 PlayStation 3 games will be available to stream, and that the service runs at full functionality, specifically mentioning things like trophies, online multiplayer and cloud-saves for game-progress. Sound familiar? It should because that's how the service works on Bravia TVs and PlayStation game consoles. What's more, all you'll need is one of Sony's DualShock 4 gamepads to control the action.
PlayStation Now's creator explains how game streaming came to Sony
With the PlayStation Now beta just opening to a larger chunk of the gaming population, you might be wondering how the streaming service came to Sony in the first place. Why did Gaikai drop its entire PC audience to join a console maker? Thankfully for you, Gaikai chief David Perry has just shed light on that transition in an interview with GameInformer. Simply put, streaming on computers was becoming a nightmare for Perry's team before the 2012 acquisition. The sheer number of compatibility problems was "massively reducing" the number of titles Gaikai could support, and the software required increasingly elaborate tricks (such as image recognition) just to run at all. The company wanted to escape these headaches by going to a platform with standardized elements like controllers and copy protection. When Sony came knocking, it quickly became clear that the PlayStation was a good match -- it solved many challenges in one fell swoop.
Sony brings PlayStation Now game streaming to the PS3
You don't need a fancy current-gen console to stream all those Sony classics -- the company announced last night that its Netflix-esque PlayStation Now open beta is finally, well, open to PlayStation 3 owners in the United States and Canada. It's about time, really: PS3 owners have been part of the more selective closed beta program since January, but Sony opened the early access gates to folks with PlayStation 4s first. As always, though, be sure to keep a few things in mind before you take the plunge. You'll get access to some 150 PS3 titles as part of the deal (including forthcoming hits like inFAMOUS and Ultra Street Fighter IV) but rental prices for these games tend to range between $3 and $20. That span isn't awful, but considering you'd be able to pick up physical copies of some of those games for about the same price, you'll have to think about just how valuable picking up new games while immobile on the couch really is.
Sony's Share Play turns your PS4 into a 'virtual couch' for online co-op
We just got a closer look at some of the big-name titles coming to the PS4 from Gamescom, but Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan just took a moment to talk about SharePlay. It's slated to come as part of the PS4's 2.00 update in the fall, and it's perhaps not quite what you'd expect -- the feature essentially lets you "share" your copy of a game (any game!) with online friends who also have PlayStation Plus. Sony refers to the resulting co-op experience as a "virtual couch," from which you can jointly tackle challenges in games, and yield control of your avatar to remotely situated pals who are better equipped to beat a game than you are. Sure, that'll require acknowledging someone else's gaming superiority, but at least you won't have to deal with their gloating in person.
PlayStation Now subscription option 'definitely in the works'
With PlayStation Now ready to enter its open beta today, Sony's Jack Buser answered calls for a subscription model by saying it's "definitely something in the works." The director of the game-streaming program elaborated on the PS Blog, writing, "...we've heard you loud and clear for an update on a PS Now subscription option and want to reassure you that we are working on it." To recap, PlayStation Now lets players stream PS3 games from Sony's cloud servers to PS4, and other systems in the future. Currently the beta only offers rental options, with players able to access games for either 4 hours, 7 days, 30 days or 90 days. As displayed in a new video, there are different prices for different games - Vigil Games' Darksiders, for example, is $3 for 4 hours, $6 for a week, $8 for 30 days and $15 for 90.
Sony explains what's in the PlayStation Now open beta for PS4
Sony's had limited tests of its cloud-based gaming service running for the last few months, but it's taking PlayStation Now to the next level tomorrow by letting anyone with a PS4 (that's in the continental US or southern Canada) join in. There's a new blog post and video up now telling gamers what to expect: PS3 games, cloud saves, trophies, and "a variety of rental periods" depending on the game. As far as an all-you-can-eat option following the lead of Netflix or EA's just-announced EA Access -- that Sony doesn't think you need -- Sony reaffirmed that it's working on a subscription option for PS Now, but didn't provide any more details. As for how much it costs now, there will be four-hour rentals for $2, as well as 7-, 30- and 90-day options for between $3 and $20, across a library of more than 100 titles. You can check out our hands-on impressions from CES after the break, or check out Sony's website for more information like which games are available (Metal Gear Solid V, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, Ultra Street Fighter IV and more.)
PlayStation Now will start streaming PS3 games to Sony TVs next week
Sony has been testing its PlayStation Now cloud streaming game service for months, with a select group of players testing it out on the PS3 and PS4 (all PS4 owners can try it out at the end of next month). On Monday, that group will expand to include owners of some of Sony's 2014 TVs, including all 4K Ultra HD sets and some of the 1080p models. As a part of the PlayStation Pilot Service, that means that if they live in the continental US, they can play PS3 games with just an internet-connected TV and a DualShock 3 controller plugged in via USB.
Rental options spotted (but not working) on the PlayStation Store
A list of non-functioning (for now) links point towards the kind of rental options users can expect from the PlayStation Now streaming service. MP1st and PSNStores spotted links for 1-day, 7-day, and 30-day rentals of Atlus' romantic puzzler Catherine, and when PSNStores tried to purchase one of the rentals, it found "Catherine PS Now" in its transaction history. The links follows the clues laid out on a PS Now concept image published by Gaikai (via VG247) earlier in the week. Certain tiles displayed low prices for PS3 games - Uncharted 3 at $5, Far Cry 3 at $6 - perhaps an indication of the service's base prices for rentals. PlayStation Now is expected to see a full rollout sometime this summer, letting users rent games individually or pay for a subscription to the service. Developed by Gaikai, who Sony acquired for $380 million two years ago, PS Now lets users stream PS1, PS2, and PS3 games on PS4, PS3, Vita, Bravia TV, and other unannounced devices. [Image: PSNStores]
PlayStation Now streams PlayStation games to PS4, Vita, PS3, tablets and smartphones
Sony has just announced PlayStation Now, a new service for PS4, Vita, PS3, tablets, smartphones and Bravia TVs based on its acquisition of streaming outfit Gaikai. It represents a new subscription model for PlayStation users, and will kick off with a limited beta on PS3 starting later in January, with a wider US release slated for this summer. Games can be rented by the title or subscription and will support PSN features like multiplayer, online, trophies and messages, even when you're on the road. During his CES 2014 keynote, Sony chief Kaz Hirai said that it'll "enable streaming across your smartphone, Vita, tablet and PS4 wherever, whenever," even at the same time. To enable that, PS Now is tied to a brand-new cloud service, also just announced. There aren't any further details for now, but Sony will be showing off the tech here at CES 2014, so stay tuned for more details.
Cerny on cloud gaming: Some genres perform better than others
PlayStation 4 lead architect Mark Cerny addressed the console's Gaikai-powered cloud gaming capabilities in a recent interview with IGN, explaining that certain genres may be more conducive to streamed gameplay than others due to latency. "It is just a part of that cloud gaming technology that there will be a bit of latency there," Cerny said. "Ultimately I think it's going to be that some games will work really well in that kind of context and some games will work less well. If you're playing a twitch fighter or racing game, you might not want to be doing that. That's cloud gaming. But a lot of games will work very well that way." Remote Play performance between the PlayStation 4 and a linked PlayStation Vita system should not be an issue, however. "If we're talking about Remote Play on Vita, that's done with a direct Wi-Fi link, and the latency is very low," Cerny assured. "It's all in the house. Once you get out of the house, there will be some latency." Sony previously announced that players will be able to stream cloud-stored PlayStation 3 games on PS3, PS4, and PS Vita systems starting in 2014.
Sony: Gaikai may deliver PlayStation content to other devices
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, sees the Gaikai streaming service as key to his goal of transforming PlayStation from a hardware platform to "something closer to a service." Sony acquired Gaikai in June of 2012 from former Shiny Entertainment head and Gaikai founder David Perry. It's long been known that Sony hopes to use Gaikai's technology to stream PlayStation, PS2 and PS3 games to the PlayStation 4 in lieu of hardware-based backwards compatibility, but now it seems that Sony wants Gaikai to spread PlayStation software to non-PlayStation (and potentially non-Sony) devices. "Speaking of the ultimate goal, we would like to deliver PlayStation games to all devices," Yoshida stated in an interview with Dengeki Online (translated by DualShockers). "So we're considering various things like PC, TVs, Blu-ray players, smartphones, and tablets." "We hope to continue to expand not only to Sony devices, but even to devices other than Sony's," Yoshida added. Yoshida's ultimate goal is to create a web of devices capable of streaming PlayStation content, with Sony's latest console serving as a hub for this activity. "We previously spoke about PlayStation going from hardware to something closer to a service, regardless of the device - of course PlayStation will still be the center, but I think we would like to expand to different things," Yoshida said.
Sony bringing PS3 titles to Gaikai in 2014, future PS4 owners rejoice
At the Tokyo Game Show today, Shuhei Yoshida announced that Sony will soon launch a library of PlayStation 3 titles via its Gaikai cloud-gaming service. Yoshida also confirmed that the games will be available to play on the PS4 -- as previously rumored -- as well as on the PS Vita and Vita TV. Given that the PlayStation 4 won't natively support PS3 titles when it launches stateside later this year, the cloud-based options should come as a huge relief to those looking to pick up the company's latest console and, you know, have something compelling to play. Look for this service to hit the US in 2014 -- no word yet on when it will launch in Europe. Check out all our Tokyo Game Show 2013 coverage right here at our hub!
European broadband issues delaying PS4 Gaikai rollout
PlayStation games streaming is due sometime in 2014 here in North America, but for our friends across the pond, it's a more problematic affair due to the issues surrounding broadband internet availability in Europe. SCEE President and CEO Jim Ryan told Edge during Gamescom that Sony "doesn't yet have a timeline" for rolling out PlayStation cloud services to Europe. "So the plan is to begin with North America next year and the plan is to provide a streaming service that will allow for PS3 content initially to be streamed to firstly PS4, then PS Vita and then PS3," Ryan said. "And so that will happen in 2014 in North America initially. Now – and I touched upon these issues of broadband in Europe during the presentation – Europe is of course on the roadmap for that service to be deployed at some point in the future, but for reasons outside of our control we don't yet have a timeline for it. So at a show which is now pretty global in its reach but primarily aimed at a European audience, we didn't really want to start talking about the virtues of this great cloud-based service without knowing exactly when it'll come to Europe." PlayStation cloud services will be powered by Gaikai, which Sony acquired in 2012 for $380 million. Gaikai, which has been around since late 2008, was founded by iconic game developer David Perry, the founder of Shiny Entertainment and creator of such beloved games as Earthworm Jim and MDK.
Sony will launch cloud gaming service for PS3, PS4 and Vita in 2014
Sony announced that it will provide streamed PS3 games, powered by Gaikai, to Vita, PS3 and PS4 owners next year. While it won't make the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony says it will be "fast and responsive," and hopefully worth the wait. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
PlayStation cloud service launches in 2014, will stream PS3 games
Sony's new cloud service will launch in 2014, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House announced during the company's E3 press briefing. The service will allow players access to a library of "critically acclaimed" PlayStation 3 games using Gaikai streaming technology. It will initially be available on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and will launch on Vita sometime later.
Wikipad slated for June 11th US launch at $250, worldwide 'to follow this summer'
The 7-inch Android tablet with a game controller cradle -- the Wikipad -- launches in the United States on June 11th for $250, with a worldwide launch following later this summer. As for the initially announced 10.1-inch variation, that remains unclear -- it's not even mentioned in Wikipad's press release from today. The same can be said for Gaikai / PlayStation Cloud support, though it's possible we'll hear more when Sony's ready to unveil its streaming plans; Wikipad's in a weird place in that relationship, having worked with Gaikai on streaming ahead of Sony's purchase of the company. We've been repeatedly promised by Wikipad representatives that the functionality is still on the way. The device is perhaps the largest outside of Sony internal products to carry PlayStation Mobile support, which gives owners access to a variety of classic PlayStation titles (think Crash Bandicoot, Jet Moto). Of course, at $250, the Wikipad costs the same as Sony's own PlayStation Vita, which packs an arguably much nicer (though smaller) OLED screen and access to a much larger library of PlayStation games. The choice will be in consumers hands come June 11th.
