Rumour: Gaikai Will Enable PS3 Streaming on PS4

Backward compatibility has been a source of much deliberation on the PlayStation 4. The complex architecture of the current PlayStation 3 means that it will be practically impossible for Sony to emulate the system on its next generation console, leaving legacy support on the chopping block. However, the firm’s high-profile acquisition of video game streaming service Gaikai has always seemed like a possible solution for the functionality – and the Wall Street Journal has further supported those claims in a brand new report.

According to the publication, the platform holder will reveal its new streaming service during next week’s PlayStation Meeting. The technology will debut alongside the manufacturer’s next console, and will allow users to play PS3 titles on the impending system. There’s no mention of pricing, but it’s unlikely that the feature will be free. We suspect that you’ll be able to rent games, which will then be available ‘on-demand’.

The Wall Street Journal adds that a number of fresh innovations will debut alongside the new machine itself on 20th February. The system will apparently come with a higher-fidelity camera that will work alongside PlayStation Move tracking technology, which may well be baked into the primary controller this time around. It also reiterated that the input device will feature a touchpad, as recent leaks have shown.

Is video game streaming something that you're interested in? Will you have enough bandwidth to take advantage of the feature? Let us know in the comments section below.

[source online.wsj.com]