PS Now about to end Game Pass/Xcloud's whole career?

While it doesn't seem like the plan to add first party titles day and date will happen any time soon, Sony seems to be doubling down on PS Now as a viable future platform with some aggressive moves. Sony is now launching a big campaign for the service, complete with slashing the price immensely. Titles like Uncharted 4 and last year's best exclusive, God of War, will be added to the selection for a limited time.

• US: $9.99 – monthly / $24.99 – quarterly / $59.99 – yearly (from $19.99/ $44.99/ $99.99)
• CAN: $12.99 – monthly / $34.99 – quarterly / $79.99 – yearly (from $19.99/ $44.99/ $99.99)
• EU: €9.99 – monthly / €24.99 – quarterly / €59.99 – yearly (from €14.99/ (N/A)/ €99.99)
• UK: £8.99 – monthly / £22.99 – quarterly / £49.99 – yearly (from £12.99 / (N/A) / £84.99)
• JP: ¥1,180 – monthly / ¥2,980 – quarterly / ¥6,980 yearly (from ¥2,500 / ¥5,900/ (N/A))

Yes. Now, NOW you may finally play GoW on PC, albeit through streaming while you can. No PS4 needed. This is a more attractive price for the service.

Streaming? No thanks, besides it only runs off a PS4. Technically it is not on PC, so unless they offer me at least 60 FPS, then no thanks.

Doesn’t matter how cheap it is or how good the service is I’ll never subscribe to a game streaming service while there are other options to play my games available.

What??? That's literally the opposite? It supports both Windows or Mac.

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/explore/playstation-now/ps-now-on-pc/

Windows PC or laptop, you’ll have access to a huge library of incredible PS4, PS3 and PS2 games ready to stream and play whenever you want them.

I think the issue with PSNow is that you still end up with PS4 performance, with another layer of latency and compression on top of it.

Or am I wrong? Does PSNow provide a better, more stable frame rate than a PS4?

You don't get it. Guy below me more or less gets it. It runs off a PS4 server/(Equivalent)hardware, unless it is available on PC natively, then it is not on PC. I'm not wasting my time with a streamed PS4 game, better off buying a PS4 if you are that desperate. I can do without the shitty latency and bandwidth issues, streaming is fucking dog shit.

It performs like a PS3/PS4 if you stream the service. If you own a PS4, then there's the option to DL PS4 games with the service as well. The streaming's not designed to outperform the native hardware, no.

No, I don't think you get it.

For $60 a year you can download 350+ PS4 games to your PS4 and play at full performance. Streaming is optional and I use it primarily as a GamePass alternative. Streaming is only one part of PSNow.

It has a ways to go to be able to compete with Game Pass

This is like Epic Games store vs Steam

Oh, did not know you can download, but I'll assume that option is for PS4 only?

@Random_Matt: Yes, just PS4 and I would assume PS5 if its back compatible. If PS3 games can be emulated on PS5 then I don't see why they couldn't expand it to download all or most games from the service too.

@navyguy21: PS Now has more games and does everything Game Pass does, EXCEPT play exclusive games the same day they release. For that alone Game Pass wins.

It's good that they're dropping prices. It's consumer friendly but I really can't get behind this. I used PS Now once to play Ni No Kuni. Once I confirmed that I wanted the game I went and bought it on my PS3. I'm cool with watching Netflix but I'm good on subscription services for games.

@ButDuuude: Not true. Every game on Gamepass is downloadable and played native, not to mention the newer titles aside from the first party.

Just having PS4 titles for download means less games than gamepass are available natively. Streaming PS3 games (or any game) is terrible, especially since even if you have a fast connection you are still being throttled due to server load and have to try to play through the equivalent of a 480p YouTube stream.

Sony did the right thing partnering with Microsoft for their cloud services. Let's not pretend that these services are close to being equal just because you favor one over the other. PSnow has a ways to go

When the service includes actual PC versions of games, it will take off.

No

PSNow has about 350 PS4 games to download. Basically more PS4 downloadable games than GamePass has on its entire service...….

i'm pretty sure the same-day release date would probably not carry over to next gen.

But yeah streaming isn't great. I think if our telecommuniation/internet structure gets a huge upgrade then streaming isn't an issue. But that's ways off for most people.

It's pretty good value 350 is a lot game pass probably the better of the two as it has day one 1st party.

It's funny how cows aren't harping on about how PS4 is losing exclusives to PC now, but when Xbox does it, it's "lolololol Xbox has no exclusives - what's the point of having an Xbox".

Lol, the hypocrisy is amazing.

Anyway, good for those that want it I guess. But PS Now is still sh*t compared to Game Pass.

No, ta.

Edit: This could also be seen as a reaction to services such as Uplay+/EA and Origin Access/Game Pass. 3 big publishers moving toward this new service type.

Once Sony matches Gamepass, I'll take interest. Price cut is nice and can only hope E3 announcement will be the big drop along with new studio acquisitions and 3rd party support(like how they recently got Grand Theft Auto on PSnow).

Wow actually big news. Unlike gamepass super small 200 games and even smaller on pc, PSNow have around 800 games.

There is the fact they launched years apart. Plus one is a streaming service, as opposed to EA/Ubisoft/MS. Sony only started adding downloads recently...

This what makes it big. PSNow ables you to download PS2 & PS4 library and also stream all content if you dont want to on PS4.

I think the only thing Sony accomplished with this is admitting their pricing model for PS Now was complete shit. Still a streaming service and until that changes not worth it in my book.

@lundy86_4: Its not a streaming only service anymore...not sure how it being one in the past is relevant

The option of streaming is good IMO...you can try a game instantly without waiting for it to download. If you like it and want to play more download it

That's... Not what I addressed. I was addressing the game # disparity. Regardless, not all that big.

IGN is even poking some fun...

Edited after you read (I assume.) I knew that, but omitted it by mistake, hence the edit.

Purely streaming is garbage... Your solution is decent, but there's no guaranteee of a download option.

@lundy86_4 said:

@sakaixx said:

This what makes it big. PSNow ables you to download PS2 & PS4 library and also stream all content if you dont want to on PS4.

That's... Not what I addressed. I was addressing the game # disparity. Regardless, not all that big.

IGN is even poking some fun...

That is what the service advertises and the collection it has is more appealing now due to price changes. How cares about God Of War you can already play one of the best game of all time BLOODBORNE on it. While we at it Bloodborne 2 please Sony & FromSoft.

Again, not what I addressed.

Bloodborne was amazing, but the frametiming was complete shite. Same with Borderlands 3 on PC ATM. I struggled through BB, and gave up on B3 until a fix is released.

I'm glad all my complaining for last 3 years is paying off.

My biggest complaints, literally 2 I said most:

1-They don't put their own first party games on there, they still have PS3 versions of Uncharted.

2-Price.

Now they just got to fix:

1-Resolution and quality

2-Interface

3-Downloading on PC

4-Build a new handheld

I don't think it will do anything to GP, no day one releases, not available in every country and you can't download all of them.

@Xabiss:

You don’t have to stream PS4 games if you have a PS4... it’s perfectly fine to use it as a GamePass like alternative especially when it has 350 PS4 games for download and never stream a single title. Right now my usage is 75% download 25% streaming.

Good move, the pricing is finally reasonable and they've added some of their top 1st party games from this gen.. If they start to add games on day and date and get more major 3rd party support for current releases, PS Now may actually become relevant for me.. Who knows, they may eventually do native releases on PC for next gen which would really seal the deal for most.. At any rate, they are definitely taking steps in the right direction, that's for sure..

Unlike some on this forum, I have no problem with the idea of streaming and I'm really curious to see how XCloud is going to perform.. With the previously mentioned partnership with Microsoft on Azure infrastructure, I wouldn't mind checking out the occasional PS4/PS5 "exclusive" in the future from my PC or smartphone without the need to buy a console just for those few games I'm interested in..

Gonna be really interesting as these services grow, that's for sure.. Competition is king.. A strong showing from PS Now is only going to serve to make Game Pass better and vice-versa..

This thread exist purely because of how good Gamepass is compared to the shit service that is PSNow.

I'm not buying PS4 because I can't image myself enjoying any game at 30fps and this should interest me, lol - games running on a PS4 and streamed to my system, resulting in even shittier experience than native PS4?

And how does this impact game pass, when they offer different games?

@BenjaminBanklin: It's remote rental PS4 hardware which benefits Sony's runtime software ecosystem which doesn't benefit PC's runtime software ecosystem.

Gotta love the narrative some people are pushing, they're still exclusive because you're renting a PS4 server lol.

Give it up cows because if its playable on another platform its not exclusive.

Bad news for the 1 system,1 brain cell fanboys who are emotionally attached to their entertainment system and it’s exclusives HaH

Good news for real gamers who like options

@ButDuuude: It doesn't do everything gamepass does at all. GP also gives me PC exclusive games for download on PC, last gen downloadable games as well as this, better 3rd party games as well as all new 1st party games in the future - not just 2 until January.

Still a no go for me.

Well, it's an admirably confident post..but no. Psnow is not about to end Gamepass/xclouds careers.

Let's be honest. Sony are cutting prices, and adding big name games - albeit temporarily - because they have been forced to by gamepass. Less than 1% of PS4 owners subscribe, and if that figure doesn't pick up by the holidays after slashing prices I suspect we won't see psnow on ps5.

The changes are great for all gamers, because every reaction from Sony encourages a reaction from MS and vice versa...Gamepass is going to get better with the introduction of Xcloud, but it's "career" is not being ended by PSnow.

@sealionact:

I find it laughable that people think this is a GamePass competitor when the wired article specifically talks about them looking at google... how narcissistic do you have to be?

Anyway Sony is doing this now to cut the legs from under both Stadia and XCloud. The timing is specifically to keep them in the conversation and have a point of comparison against the other offerings. I just wasn’t necessary before because no console streaming service existed before. Now that competition is about to launch for real then they compete for real.

It’s literally business 101.

So the bas news for cows are UC4 and GoW are no longer exclusives plus LOL at best 720p/30 in 2019.

Why would they "harp" on it? PC users still have to pay the subscription and play in the PSN echo system. It just brings more players in. Good for PlayStation if the PlayStation Now takes off on PC.

@Coolyfett: his point is that certain cows made a long and protracted stink about "Xbox has no games" based on the same premise - that they were also being distributed to PC. The response you just gave has long been the Lem retort in those arguments.

Coolyfett does not mean to be rude, but those cow's opinions are dumb.

None of these games are being distributed on PC though. None of them have been developed for, ported to, or available on any X86 platform Windows/Mac platform. The Xbox division doesn't get a cut of games Ported to PC unless there is some special circumstance in place. It's literally impossible to play these games without the Playstation ecosystem or paying the playstation division.

@michaelmikado: That's the problem. Psnow really isn't a gamepass competitor. Gamepass appeals to Xbox and pc gamers alike...there's been very little reason for PS4 owners to subscribe to psnow, which shows in the subscription rate. By cutting the price, offering downloads and limited amounts of older 1st party games, Sony are attempting to improve that attachment rate in line with gamepass numbers.

Ms don't release figures about gamepass, but we know that more than 3 million players played gears 5 on its first weekend, and that physical sales were poor...so it's safe to say it's doing much better than psnow.

The problem for Sony is that they already had a streaming service, but failed to capitalise on the head start. Playing games at 720p just doesn't cut it, and even a price cut and a resolution bump won't help the service unless they start including 1st party games on day 1...which they won't do.

Xcloud will launch with 4k gaming, as will stadia. It'll have 1st party games day 1, as will stadia....and it's easy enough for ms to match psnow's price, or make a package including gamepass, Xcloud and live.

The ball was in Sony's court, but they've been down to Matchpoint since psnow's inception.

@BenjaminBanklin: Correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't even perform at PS4 levels. Max resolution is 720p. Unless you download, which you can't on pc.