After a few months of closed beta testing in the UK, Sony’s cloud-based gaming service, PlayStation Now, is heading into an open beta phase as of today, letting you dip into a selection of PlayStation 3 games, whether you own the console or not.
Funnily enough, you’ll actually be able to stream PS Now games to the PlayStation 3, in addition to its more natural home as a window into backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4 and as a neat feature on certain Bravia TVs and Sony Blu-ray players. In fact, purchasers of specific 4K Bravia TVs before the end of August will be able to claim a free DualShock 4 and 30 day rentals of six games. These include Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, The Last of Us, Motorstorm Apocalypse, Everybody’s Golf, Ratchet & Clank: Nexus, and Lemmings.
For the rest of us, we have to pay to rent a title for between 48 hours and 30 days, with prices ranging from £2.99 to £7.99, which can feel very, very pricey when you can pick up a game so many of these games on the cheap and play them natively on a PS3. Of course, that’s something that Sony struggled with in the US almost a year ago, and we will see subscriptions added in the UK later this summer, likely in line with the $19.99 per month/$44.99 for 3 months pricing that is in place in North America.
Source: press release
double-o-dave
The prices may seem a bit steep if you already own a console, but from another perspective, I think the prices are quite good if you don’t actually own a console.
As long as you can borrow a DS3 controller or get one cheap nowadays, and own a Sony Bravia etc, playing a PS3 game through its entirety for few quid isn’t bad at all. Some of the games may be available to buy for next to nothing, but whats the point in that if you don’t own a console.
If you’re only going to play a few games every now and then, it probably works out a lot cheaper than buying an actual PS3.
* Couple of lads sat around one night bored, nothing to watch on TV. Don’t own a console anymore but still has a controller lying around. They pay £3 (or maybe a couple of quid more) and get to play TLOU all bloody night… Bargain! *
spacedelete
if you don’t own a PS3 and want to play PS3 games buy a bloody PS3 then. PS Now is a rip off trying to mug fools and fanboys. your situation makes no sense. it is cheaper to buy a PS3 than to rent a game you don’t even own. if you sold your consoles well your not interested in gaming.
double-o-dave
It’s not my situation, I still have a PS3. I’m giving an example.
One of the points of PS NOW is not needing a PS3.
Explain… How the hell is it cheaper to buy a PS3 than rent a game for couple of quid?
I’d quite happily sell my PS3 if someone wanted it, but oddly enough I am still interested in gaming, otherwise I wouldn’t be on this website.
Judging by most of your comments on this site, you appear to contradict or disregard the principles of logic.