Gaikai On PS4 Will Support “The Best” PS3 Games

Sony were woolly about what Gaikai can do for PlayStation in February, and they haven’t really expanded beyond that too far since. The idea is that huge server banks running as PlayStation 3s will stream games over the internet to your PlayStation 4 console, but the numbers (both in terms of server capacity and the games themselves) have been kept under wraps.

That’s probably because, at least back at the beginning of the year, the idea was mostly conceptual. We’re sure Gaikai have the tech, but it’s doubtful there’s a great deal working just yet. And the service, when it does appear in 2014, will be limited to those in the US at first. When it’ll appear over here, and in what guise, is anyone’s guess.

You can watch Andrew House talking about Gaikai at E3 above.

Today we’ve also learnt that it’ll only work with “the best” PS3 games, unless that’s just an unfortunately choice of words. The latest Access PS episode fills in the gaps, but it’s a little disappointing to hear it’s not – potentially – going to be the entire range. The goal is apparently “to eventually have many more legacy PlayStation titles” available.

At least the video shows Journey, The Last Of Us and Uncharted 3, which would be a great starter.

Hopefully we’ll hear more about Gaikai for European users at Gamescom next month, the first time Sony have talked about the next-gen console outside of the US in any great capacity.

29 Comments

  1. Need Warhawk on it to be able to sell my PS3

    • Agreed.

    • It’s amazing that the Warhawk love continues to this day. Brilliant game.

    • Warhawk will definitely be on there as it’s the best PS3 game. [slight sarcasm towards Sony’s use of the term ‘best games’ being ever so woolly and ‘best games’ is down to personal opinion unless they qualify their measure].

    • Hell yeah!

    • I dunno how online multiplayer fares with Gaikai…

  2. They can’t do the whole range as they don’t have the rights to. Same reason they couldn’t make all psp umd games digital.

    I expect Ireland will never see this. Same as Video Store and Playstation Mobile.

  3. No point putting the entire library on if the minority of the market will be able to use it

    • Agreed, fella. Let alone making the games available online when one lonely sod plays it and no other bugger wants to enjoy a certain, but niche, title.

      It makes sense for Gaikai to initially aim for the best games out there as that’ll produce the most revenue (assuming they charge something for the service).

  4. My real issue is the cost of this feature. I doubt they’ll have a way to check you own the games (especially with physical media) which means you either ‘license’ them or they form part of a subscription model. I don’t really want to pay again for games I have.

    It would be lovely if it was part of PS+ but I doubt that.

    • I’m hoping it’ll give you access to any games you own on PS+ already.

      A spotify like subscription could work well.

    • I can see how they could verify it actually.

      Digital games: PSN account, simple.
      Physical games: Require the disc in the drive at all times playing. Even though its not reading data from the disc, it’ll at least confirm that you own the disc.

      • Good ideas there, especially regarding the physical media being present in the drive.

      • +1
        Physical disc should be the key/proof of purchase!

  5. I’m not too bothered about having Gaikai at the moment but if/when you’ll be able to play PS3 titles on a tablet or smart phone then I’ll be more interested.

    • Thats how I feel too. If I buy a PS4 it isn’t going to be to stream PS3 games and if I want to play PS3 games I would just go and buy the disc used, probably at the same cost of a month of Gaikai service, to play in the PS3 I’m keeping because I know the PS4 can’t play PS3 games. IMO the only way Gaikai will be successful is if it allows Sony games on tablets and phones, and every other device that doesn’t have a PS brand. Its why Netflix is so popular and finally becoming profitable, because its available everywhere to everyone with internet

    • Yes.

      The point of streaming, is to have a relatively dumb device but then stream something to it that it would never be able to play because of technological limitations.

  6. I would have thought it would have to be a subscription service seperate to PS Plus or as an add on to PS Plus (PS Plus+??).

    WIth the multiplayer going in there as well now, Sony have to use some of that money to make a robust service or Microsoft will trounce it, on top of all the games they are giving away (not that I’m complaining about that aspect) doing it as part of the existing service can’t be viable.

    If the service is decent when it hits the UK I’ll flog my PS3 and games (or give it to the kids). I’m thinking I’ll have both consoles for a while though and hopefully run down my PS3 usage like I did with my dear old PS2 when I got my PS3.

  7. Number of PS2 games I played on the PS3… 1. Pro Evo Soccer a hangover from my PS2 to when the PS3 was released. It looked blooming awful on a big flat screen telly.

    I won’t be hankering after any PS3 games when my new black angular box turns up.

  8. If i have to pay to stream my ps3 digital library i’m just going to keep my ps3. Simples!

  9. It must take a fair bit to convert each game to the streaming format, so i’m not really surprised. I’ll be hanging on to my PS3 at any rate.

  10. Make sure GT6 is on there & I’ll be interested ;)

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