Video game streaming services in the cloud are here to stay. Although the most experienced players will continue to prefer to play on their consoles or on their computers because the experience and immersion is superior, the truth is that these types of platforms can be interesting for those more casual players, people who do not live in a fixed place or simply people who do not have space at home for a console or a computer. The technology behind the cloud game is still pretty green, but that doesn’t mean it is useful for many users. Today we will tell you everything you need to know about PS Now , Sony‘s video game service.
What is and what does PS Now offer?
PlayStation Now is Sony’s cloud gaming platform. It is the proposal with which the Japanese company will compete against Google Stadia, Xbox Cloud and Nvidia GeForce Now. It is a subscription service that is paid independently to PlayStation Plus and has a monthly or annual fee, depending on our preferences.
With this service, we will be able to enjoy video games that will be executed in the cloud and will be viewed directly on our home television.
The PlayStation Now service allows you to access a huge catalog of video games for PS2 , PS3 and PS4 . You can play them in streaming or even download some titles on your console and enjoy them on demand .
The PS Now video game collection is on the rise. Currently it already has more than 700 titles . Sony usually announces in advance on its website the video games that are going to come out in the following months, and even allows you to access some ahead of time.
The strong point of PS Now is the local execution of games . A kind of rental of titles that we can do from the service application itself. This phenomenon will only be available if the game we select is available natively for our console. In this way, we will avoid latency problems and we will gain in graphic quality.
Who is PlayStation Now available to?
PS Now is available for users of PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 and also on PC .
However, there is an extra requirement, and that is that, in order to access this service, it will be necessary that we also have an active PlayStation Plus subscription .
How to download PS Now
We explain how to download and what requirements you need to enjoy PS Now both on PC and on your PlayStation console.
Download PS Now on PC
To download the PS Now client on your personal computer, you must meet a series of requirements :
- Windows 10 operating system.
- Intel Core i3 4260 / AMD A10 or higher.
- RAM memory: 2 GB or higher.
- USB port and remote .
- 5 Mbps of Internet bandwidth minimum.
You will have to download the application from the PlayStation website from this link and install it on your computer. Later, you will have to log into your PlayStation Network account and connect your controller. The compatible controllers are DualShock 4, DualShock 3 and controllers with XInput like the Xbox One controller. You will have to connect them by USB cable.
Download PS Now on PlayStation
The steps you must follow are the following:
- Go to the PlayStation Store and buy a subscription for 1 month, 3 months, one year or request the 7-day free trial of PlayStation Now. This step can also be done with a prepaid card.
- Access the PS Now app that will now appear in the main menu of your console.
- Search the game catalog for the title you want to play. Click on “Stream Now .”
- If instead of streaming you want to play it locally on your console (you can only do it if the console is compatible), select the inverted arrow icon. Wait for the download to complete and you can play without having to wait for loading times and with higher quality and a decrease in latency.
What is the price of the service?
PS Now has a subscription of 1,499 euros per month or 99.99 euros per year if we opt for the annual fee. You can try it for 7 days for free without problems.
This service can also be purchased through PlayStation Store gift cards, available in physical stores and also through codes on some websites selling keys.
PS Now quality
If you’ve already tried Stadia or GeForce Now, you’re probably wondering about the quality of PS Now. Do you have lag? Is the video compression decent? Let’s go by parts.
With a fiber Internet connection, the truth is that the quality of service is more than decent . Obviously, a game rendered by our console will still look better than a game rendered in the cloud, but broadly speaking, it is a characteristic of its technology, not something specific to PS Now.
Of course, unlike other proposals, PlayStation Now does not have the possibility of gaming in 4K resolution to date. It does so only in 1080p quality , an increase over the original resolution of the service, which was 720p. Native PS3 games that were not in Full HD will also stay in that HD resolution .
Regarding input lag , whether we notice it or not will fundamentally depend on the game we choose. Sony does not seem to have invested in artificial intelligence to predict keystrokes as Stadia claims to have done, but in any case, in an action or fighting game, the delay of our keystrokes will be more evident than in an open world or a game arcade driving.
Other features and limitations
When you play PS Now, you will earn the same achievements and trophies as if you owned the real game. However, you will not be able to access the downloadable content or micro payment platforms. Most of the games that are part of the PS Now catalog are Game of the Year (GOTY) versions, that is, the most complete version of the title.
Are there PS5 games on PS Now?
So far, PlayStation Now only includes PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 games . However, the service is not as popular as Sony would like, so we can be sure that the Japanese are working tirelessly to make this gaming platform more attractive.
Therefore, we should not be too far from the arrival of exclusive PS5 games to the service . And with it, the 4K resolution should come to the service, even if it was an exclusive quality for new generation titles.
