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PlayStation Now rentals for 'most titles' between $3 and $20
Following the new date for the PlayStation Now beta in North America, Sony sent on a press release briefly discussing the price structures for its rental streaming program. According to Sony, the shortest periods will be "priced as low as $2.99," while most games - and presumably different rental options - will sit in the $3 to $20 range. Additionally, while Sony only noted a beta date for North America, the company added it'll continue to prepare the service for Europe and Japan.
PlayStation Now beta hits North America July 31
PlayStation Now, a service which will allow PlayStation 4 owners to stream playable PlayStation 3 games, will enter open beta in Canada and America on July 31. Sony revealed the beta release during it E3 press conference, though the publisher offered no further information on how players will gain access to the beta incarnation of PlayStation Now.
PlayStation Now streaming service enters PS4 beta tomorrow
The closed beta phase of PlayStation Now for PS4 will begin tomorrow, Sony announced. The service's beta program has been available for PS3 after invites went out to players in late January. PlayStation Now was announced in January as a service that allows players to stream PS3 games to their compatible systems like they would a video on platforms like YouTube and Netflix. The service was originally expected to include PS One and PS2 games, though Sony has since been mum on the ability to stream classics. A previous rumor indicated that backwards compatibility for those consoles could be added to the PS4. PlayStation Now will launch this year for PS4, PS3, Vita and "select" 2014 Bravia TVs. Sony is expanding its PS3 beta program to a "broader audience" soon, so those interested in testing the streaming platform can register on Sony's site. [Image: Sony]
PlayStation Now-capable Bravia TVs launching in June
Sony has announced that its upcoming series of PlayStation Now-compatible 4K "Ultra HD" Bravia televisions, first revealed at CES 2014, will launch in June. A total of nine models from three series will hit the market with prices ranging from a $2,099 (49") to $24,999 (85"). With the ability to access Sony's upcoming PlayStation Now service, the Bravia sets will be able to stream PS3 games and play with a DualShock 3 controller (which, for the price, you'd hope would be included, but Sony's press release doesn't specify). The foundation for PlayStation Now is Gaikai, the games streaming service Sony purchased for $380 million in 2012. Sony is one of many television manufacturers that continues to push HD technology into the 4K future. Ultra HD 4K televisions (also simply known as UHD TV) claim to deliver four times the picture resolution of standard 1080p sets; 4K televisions increase pixel count per image from two million to eight million. "We strongly believe 4K is the future for entertainment and we remain committed to leading the 4K movement, from lens to living room, in a way that only a company like Sony can," said Mike Fasulo, president at Sony Electronics.
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]
Rumor: PS1 and PS2 emulation coming to PS4, won't use cloud streaming
PlayStation and PS2 backward compatibility may soon be coming to the PlayStation 4, a source close to Sony told Eurogamer this week. Notably, the source stated that backward-compatible PSOne and PS2 games would be stored locally on PlayStation 4 consoles and recreated via emulation. The claim runs contrary to Sony's previously announced plans to offer PS1 and PS2 games remotely via its PlayStation Now streaming service. According to Eurogamer's source, Sony still plans to make legacy PlayStation 3 games available via cloud streaming on the PlayStation 4. The source additionally claims that Sony is working to ensure that backward-compatible games are optimized for native HD resolutions, eliminating the blurred upscaling seen in emulated releases on the PlayStation 3. We've reached out to Sony for comment regarding these rumored features, and currently await a response.
Report: PlayStation Now closed beta invites rolling out
It would appear Sony is sending out invites for its PlayStation Now closed beta. One such invite was received by NeoGAF user tokyostomp, and IGN also claims to have received another, separate invite. Both invites recommend hard-wiring your PS3 and a 5mbps-or-greater internet connection. PlayStation Now is Sony's premium games streaming service designed to serve up older PlayStation games on PS3, PS4, PS Vita and other internet-enabled devices. The service will allow users to rent individual games or pay a subscription fee. PS3 is the first system to receive the beta, though Sony hasn't said how long it'll take for the beta to surface on PS4 and PS Vita. An official launch for PlayStation Now is planned for this summer.
Sony on controller requirements for PlayStation Now
It looks like you'll need a DualShock 3 controller to use PlayStation Now game streaming on most devices, excluding the Vita and PlayStation 4. The newly-unveiled service will stream previous-gen PS games onto the PS4, PS3, Vita, and Bravia TVs, and further down the line other "internet-connected devices" such as smartphones and tablets. Whenever it does reach tablets and smartphones, users will need a DualShock 3 to play, according to SCEA VP of Marketing John Koller. "It needs to go through the DualShock," Koller told CVG. "The DualShock remains the key ingredient. So that controller experience needs to go perfectly. We didn't want to utilise touch screen or anything like that because the games are best played with a DualShock." That said, as the above vid shows you can control PS Now on Vita using the handheld. We've double-checked that with a Sony representative, who also confirmed you can use a DualShock 4 to use it on PS4, while a DualShock 3 is needed on PS3 and with Bravia TVs. PS Now is due for a full rollout in the summer, and it's coming to PS3 and PS4 first - a PS3 closed beta begins in the US towards the end of this month. You can either rent games individually or purchase a PS Now subscription, and in case you're wondering, you won't be able to stick a PS3 disc in a PS4 and unlock a game that way. "Sony is saying no to that right now," is the negatory from Koller.
The Last of Us on Vita via PlayStation Now
Take a look at The Last of Us running on Vita through PlayStation Now, the Sony games streaming service that was announced this morning at CES. PlayStation Now will enter beta in January, with a full rollout in the US this summer on PS3, PS4 and Bravia TVs. Vita is scheduled for later on. PlayStation Now will allow players to stream PlayStation games on a variety of internet-connected devices. According to Sony's launch plan, PlayStation Now will hit PlayStation devices first, then expand to other Sony products, and then hit third-party internet-capable devices. It enables cross-platform gaming, such as PS4 players entering games with PS3 players. Finally, The Last of Us can make you feel awful, beautiful things from a tinier screen.
Sony announces PlayStation Now for streaming older games
Sony President Andrew House has announced PlayStation Now, a new games streaming service that aims to bring older PlayStation games to PS4, PS3, PS Vita and other devices. PlayStation Now, which will stream games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PS3 eras first on PS3 and PS4, will kick off on PS3 with a closed beta in the US at the end of January, with a full rollout planned for some time this summer. Users will be able to rent games individually or pay for a PlayStation Now subscription. Sony aims to eventually expand the service beyond Sony devices too. The foundation for PlayStation Now is Gaikai, the games streaming service Sony purchased for $380 million in 2012. Gaikai is responsible for a variety of PS4 features, including cloud gaming, Remote Play, Try Anything and Instant Broadcast, and other cloud services expected to launch later this year. Four different PlayStation Now games are currently on-hand at the Sony CES booth: The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls, God of War: Ascension and Puppeteer. So far, these are the only supported games Sony has announced.
