PlayStation Now has spent the last year in closed and then open beta testing. The game streaming service for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita consoles originally only offered individual game rentals ranging from four hours to 90 days. Sony announced a Netflix-like subscription option for the service on Monday that can purchased monthly or in a cheaper 3-month bundle.
Those with a PlayStation 4 will be the first to have the option to sign-up for the PS Now subscription service, Director of Marketing Peter Jamshidi announced on the PlayStation Blog . The subscription option will launch on Tuesday, January 13 with the option to choose between a one-month plan for $19.99 and a three-month plan for $44.99 ($15 a month). A free seven-day trial will be available at launch as well.
PlayStation Now subscription service debuts Jan. 13th, with 100+ games available. Details: http://t.co/auDFXsL87Q pic.twitter.com/iInWilmD1u
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 5, 2015
The subscription service will start with over 100 PS3 games to stream to the PS4 at launch, with more to be added later. Access via the PS3 console, PS Vita handheld, and compatible Sony Bravia Smart TVs will be added later as well. This will only be available in North America for now.
The image in the Tweet above shows a mix of 104 games that will be available. There are action games like God of War: Ascension , Batman : Arkham City , Darksiders II , and I nfamous . Shooters are represented by The Last of Us, Sniper Elite, and Warhawk . There are plenty of platformers including Spelunky, a couple of Sonic titles, Sly Cooper , and de Blob 2 .
PlayStation Now is built off David Perry’s Gaikai streaming service, which was purchased by Sony in 2008. It allows users to stream games to their device over the internet and play, versus downloading the game and installing it or using a disk. You will need a 5 Mbps internet connection or better for the best experience with PS Now.
The reaction to these prices from the gaming communities at Reddit and NeoGAF has been mixed. Some believe that the pricing is fair, while others think it is too much for the library of games being offered. Others have voiced concerns about how reliable the service will be given the recent PlayStation Network outages that forced an apology from Sony and an extension of PS Plus subscriptions .
What do you think of the PlayStation Now subscription announcement? Is the cost too much or just right for the library of PS3 games being offered? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image via Next Web ]
