It looks like Sony isn’t going to take Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service lying down: PlayStation Now will begin offering PS4 games later this year.
As you may know, PlayStation Now is a streaming game service that currently offers subscription-based access to almost 500 PlayStation 3 titles. The service is available to gamers on the PlayStation 4 console and on Windows-based PCs, and has been a big differentiator for the PlayStation platform.
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But then Microsoft announced Xbox Game Pass a few weeks back. That service, available only on Xbox One, will provide access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games at launch. And unlike PS Now, it will require gamers to download those games to their consoles to play them. On the good news front, at $9.99 per month, Xbox Game Pass is half the monthly price of PS Now.
Today, Sony announced that it will bring PS4 games to PS Now later this year. The schedule isn’t completely clear—actually, the whole thing is rather vague—but limited testing will start soon with randomly-chosen but active PS Now subscribers.
“All of the games in the service, including PS4 games, will be included with a single PS Now subscription,” Sony says. “We’ll share more information as we get closer to launch, so stay tuned … Also, PS Now uses cloud saves, letting you start a game on PS4 and continue playing on another PS4 or even a Windows PC (or vice versa).”
That’s big news. And it makes the PlayStation a safer bet at a time when Microsoft is really struggling to define why Xbox is the better alternative.
Bats
<p>This isn't surprising at all. Whatever Microsoft will do, or any company (for that matter), it will be copied. Not only will it be copied, it will be copied IMMEDIATELY. This is why Microsoft will never win and if Paul doesn't understand, it will also be why he will always continue to be wrong. </p><p><br></p><p>Sony's move will hinder Scorpio for those gamers, who really don't want to spend the money to buy another console to be able to experience Xbox games on the console and the PC. Why do that, when you can do the same thing with your (already) powerful PS4 and PS4 Pro? Sony just took away the one marketing leverage Xbox got with the Playstation Now move. Believe me, Scorpio and Mixed Reality is not going to be huge and won't help Microsoft. I won't be surprised, if Sony has something up there sleeve by the time those two things come out. Sony just knows what they are doing and let's face it, this war is pretty much over. Even with all the Microsoft and Paul's hype with the Xbox One S, it hasn't made a dent to the PS4's lead and I don't think it ever will for this console generation. Seriously, if you are going to invest in an "entertainment" system the Playstation ecosystem is just overall better. Think about it: Movie and TV rentals/ownership, Online parties, Live TV service comparable to cable and satellite, Console gaming, and now Console gaming on the PC……your arch-rival's own platform. WOW!</p>