Sony launched the PS Now service a while ago but it seems a lot of gamers are currently missing out on the action. PS Now isn’t the same as PS Plus since it basically offers what Netflix offers for series and movies. As owner of PS Now, you’re able to stream older PlayStation 3 games on your PlayStation 4, PS Vita or PC, meaning you’ll get access to over 300 PlayStation 3 games in the cloud.
Before we jump straight into the action, let’s get some technical aspects out of the way first. You’ll probably wonder what PS Now is and how you can get it.
General overview of the service
PS Now is a cloud-based streaming service which gives subscribers instant access to an extensive and expanding library of PS3 blockbusters, via PS4 and Windows PC. Titles range from best-sellers to hidden gems and there’s something for every genre-lover, so everyone from the hardcore gamer to the entire family can enjoy the service. With 329 games currently available and titles added to the subscription on a monthly basis, there’s always something new to try.
Broadband internet connection tests are available on all devices and are recommended before subscribing, you’ll need a minimum of 5mbps to get started.
The service is currently only available in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium in the SIEE region, but we’re looking to expand further afield and will update relevant parties accordingly going forward.
Pricing model
Purchases are based on a one-month subscription model; users can renew this as a rolling contract at £12.99p/m (€16.99p/m).
A one-week free trial is available to all those who are new to the service.
Some legendary games
The best part of the service is without a doubt the amount of games it has to offer. Ranging from triple-A games to smaller hidden gems, the service has something for everybody. Recently, Rockstar added their critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare DLC pack. Since this seemed like the perfect game to showcase the service, we went back to John Martson to replay his fascinating story in the Wild West.
When Red Dead Redemption first released, it immediately turned into one of those games you knew people would talk about for a very long time. Rockstar finally revealed Red Dead Redemption 2 but without the fuzz of this first open world game, it wouldn’t be possible. Playing Red Dead Redemption via PS Now works surprisingly well. Since this is a cloud-based streaming service, I could instantly play the game without having to install it on my PS4 drive, saving me the waiting time of downloading and the free space it would use on my drive.
Booting it up for the first time took some time but once you start playing, you won’t suffer from any lag if your internet connection is strong enough. I was really surprised with the fact that the game runs this smooth. I never was under the impression that this game was too big to stream. There’s no difference in playing this online stream or playing the actual PlayStation 3 disc, which is really impressive! It’s great to see those big games returning to the PS Now service and if you haven’t played it before, Red Dead Redemption certainly is one of those you simply need to start streaming.
A lot of advantages
What’s even better about the service is that you can still play online with others. Those can play on their PS Now account or on the original PlayStation 3 console. Sony made sure fans wouldn’t miss out so the multiplayer sessions are as fluent as they would be on the PlayStation 3 console itself. Besides that, you also enjoy the service on your PC or PS Vita. If you play on PC, you’ll need to get a special adapter to connect your PS4 controller to your PC. Once that’s done, you can enjoy your games anywhere you want, another great plus of this service!
Conclusion:
PS Now is another great service Sony has to offer. You don’t need a PS Plus subscription to enjoy the PS Now network so it’s definitely worth considering this Holiday season. If you never played the classic PlayStation 3 games, there are tons of great games waiting to be discovered. We played Red Dead Redemption using the service and couldn’t be more happy about it. It looks and feels like the original game without losing any quality. The service will receive a lot of new games the coming months so there’s always something to do on PS Now!
