Hands on: PlayStation Now Game Streaming

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Hands on: PlayStation Now Game Streaming

PS Now

It works! That’s the biggest compliment you could pay the newly revealed PlayStation Now game streaming service formally unveiled at CES 2014. Set to roll out this summer on PS3 and PS4 — followed by PS Vita and an array of internet connected devices such as 2014 BRAVIA TVs — PS Now will enable users to stream a library of PS3 titles in real time over the internet.

Update: Want more information on PS Now? Watch these new video reports filed by PlayStation’s community blogger team straight from CES.

At the show, gaming media went hands-on with PS Now across two devices, a 2014 BRAVIA TV and a PS Vita. The test drive featured four titles — Beyond: Two Souls, God of War: Ascension, The Last of Us, and Puppeteer. And across the board, the experience was encouraging. PS Now’s advantage lies in its immediacy and access; the ability to hop easily between multiple games across a host of devices without downloading huge files or swapping Blu-ray discs represents a major evolution of the medium.

The Last of Us

On the BRAVIA, I picked up the DualShock 3 and launched into The Last of Us, Naughty Dog’s critically-acclaimed survival drama. Following a brief loading screen, I launched an early scenario set in the ruins of Boston. So far, so good: the experience looked and felt faithful to playing the game locally on a PS3. I crept through abandoned skyscrapers, evaded marauding Clickers, and engaged in a bareknuckle beatdown against a mob of Infected.

In the test demo I played on both the BRAVIA and PS Vita, gameplay latency was a non-issue. I had no trouble controlling the camera, aiming at enemies, or fending off incoming attacks. In fact, after a few minutes of play I forgot that I was “streaming a game” — I was just getting absorbed in playing The Last of Us. I also fired up Puppeteer and God of War: Ascension, and the experience was similarly convincing.

At this early stage of PS Now’s development, pixel counters and graphics aficionados might spot some minor concessions in the visual department, such as compression artifacts, consistent with high-quality internet video or gameplay streamed via PS Vita Remote Play.

And as with all bandwidth-intensive streaming content, a player’s experience with PS Now will depend on the overall quality of their broadband internet connection. The PS Now team is currently estimating that a 5 mbps connection will provide a good experience for most games, and they’ll be gathering user feedback during the closed beta before announcing more details.

There are still plenty of things we don’t know about the service that will surely be revealed as we get closer to its summer launch in the United States. But for now, as far as first impressions go, PS Now is looking promising, indeed. Sign up here for more information.

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  • Why would I want to add +3-+4 input delay frames to already laggy LED TVs? Sony should focus on releasing very close to zero input delay OLED-LED 32″ and up TVs to compensate for “streamed games” that further add delay. You know, engineers have ideas, but they don’t know about practicality. No one wants to play Mario Bros jumping so ineffectively 5 frames later after you press the jump button… learn to make games and services, Sony.

  • So Sid, let me ask you this and I would appreciate a reply, Will my previous digital only games and I have over 200 of them, will I be able to stream them at no extra cost to a ps4 or Bravia or a Vita or do I have to REBUY all those games again?(which I will not be doing) Because if I can’t stream my previously purchased games for free then this service is a waste of time, money and resources….

  • why US only?

  • @113 I also would like a higher priced PS4 SKU that had PSone, PS2 and PS3 backwards compatibility. i don’t mind paying extra for it. I am sure there are other people who want that too!

  • I am looking forward to putting my PS VIta to work with the overwhelming and upcoming capabilities that have continued to expound and exploit my mini consoles abilities. The day I found out that PS4 was going to link up with the Vita I ran out and got one. Now it will be a viable stand alone product in many peoples eyes with the additional catalog of games that would have otherwise been un-available. Come March and I’ll have my hands on a PS4 as well and then I do not know what I am going to do without my Tech but rest assured the vita will be utilized by all of my children and myself until it clones itself and I have another specific for me again!

    Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to this Sony!

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