Last August we talked about the possibility of accessing PlayStation 3 games on our computers with the help of the streaming service PlayStation Now. Sony has exactly 483 titles available to its users, but now the company has decided to expand its reach and include PlayStation 4 games in the catalog. The tests will take a few weeks, and access will be limited by invitations.
The PlayStation 3 has more than 1,400 titles in its catalog. Due to licensing and exclusivity issues, the number of games available on PlayStation Now is much smaller, but the most important ones are already there. The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, and Batman: Arkham Origins are some of the examples Sony mentions, but it would be crazy to forget Heavy Rain, the Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Borderlands, God of War, Killzone, Lost Planet, Uncharted series, and many more.
The PlayStation Now universe got a shake-up in mid-February when Sony confirmed that the service would be canceled on PS3, PS Vita, PSTV, and smart TVs. A few days later, Microsoft responded with its Xbox Game Pass, a "Netflix of video games" that will debut in a couple of months. Sony's best option is to regroup, and that's how we find this upgrade for PlayStation Now.
The official announcement is short but concise: To the 483 PlayStation 3 games will be added PlayStation 4 titles, all under a single subscription. The most benefited by this decision are without a doubt PC users, who in theory can get the best of both platforms without acquiring the hardware. The new phase of PlayStation Now will begin as a private beta based on invitations, and the company will reveal more information as the weeks go by.
I imagine Sony will have to smooth out many rough edges before releasing PS4 games because they are more demanding in every sense, and the whole process is via streaming, so speed and latency factors will be more critical than ever. At the time I said PlayStation Now didn't seem like such an attractive option, but everything will change if Sony manages to successfully combine its two most powerful consoles in a single service for PC users.
