Off the back of its recent partnership with Microsoft that will see the two companies come together on future cloud streaming solutions, Sony has revealed in an investor relation meeting that streaming a PS5 game will be just as important as its physical disc and digital download counterparts.
It's something everyone has assumed due to the way the industry is going, but this announcement sets the streaming method in stone for PlayStation 5. This type of content delivery is set to become the norm alongside purchasing a physical copy at a store or downloading it from the PlayStation Store, meaning that a streamable option may be available for most, if not all, games from launch.
This is a fairly major shift in role for PlayStation Now, which adds games to its library monthly well after those titles have hit the market. On the PS5, it looks like you'll be able to stream a game the moment it's available. Would you like to embrace the streaming future and play a PS5 title as soon as it becomes available, without any prior download? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source twitter.com, via resetera.com]
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"Would you like to embrace the streaming future and play a PS5 title as soon as it becomes available, without any prior download? Share your thoughts in the comments below."
In a word: No.
I'm fine with it being an option - but I'm still pretty unconvinced that the majority of potential users have sufficient internet access for it to work.
I have a pretty solid, average-high speed connection in the UK - wired, and PS Now was only ever 'OK'.
Also, I like stuff.
Options are always great. Let all the ways people can game be there together and over time the one that people like the most will come to the top.
I don't see streaming being able to keep up with what the console can do natively at this point but if it catches up it could be a good alternative to always having to free up hardware space, or maybe an old school rental service for those games you may just want to have a go of.
Me though for now I'll have either the games on disc or digitally
Great. Instead of forcing everyone to stream give gamers a choice. Brilliant. Take that, Stadia.
Lots of interesting tidbits from that meeting. Would be cool if streaming on release date ends up being an option for those who want it. It's definitely something I would be interested in at least trying to see how well it performed. Ps now works almost flawlessly for me currently, will see how large games fare. Can't wait!
10 -15 years
I showed this to my internet and it said, "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."
My name's not even Dave!
If streaming a game becomes available as soon as you buy the digital version of a game, this is great for people with a good broadband (AKA not me). Also to try the demo of a game, or play quickly then let the game download overnight or play remotely, provided you can sync your save between between your PS4 for local play and streaming.
Good luck streaming in rural Australia!
I get my broadband via satellite with around 800ms ping and 10Mbps on a good day.
I can play destiny but I’m the only one there 😁
@ApostateMage You might want to unplug your router before it tries to kill you.
@Serf if I lived in rural Australia I wouldn't be video gaming, I'd be blatting round the outback on a kickass dirtbike.
As long as it's purely optional, I don't mind streaming tech in my next console. Giving people choice is a good thing. Might even work fine for games that don't rely on low lag like RPGs or turn based strategy.
Personally, I'll always prefer playing on local hardware, either with a disk or a download. As soon as this option isn't offered anymore, I'm done with gaming. Streaming only will never be for me.
Happy to have the choice. PS Now works fine for me and would be a brilliant deal if they started adding launch games. What would be even better though is a 'sell-on' feature for digital games whereby you can sell on a market place and get some money back once you've finished it.
Player choice is key.
Something Google stadia and other companies don't understand,and that might be the reason stadia won't be as successfull as they want.
Most people Will get the games digitally,2nd place Will be physical and only a small portion of the userbase Will go streaming for most games without looking at the other options.
I don't see stadia being successfull if it stays a streaming only machine versus consoles that offer All methods of getting a game.
They don't believe in player choice at all, they believe that people have lots of different preferences at the moment. They'll go where the money is. As soon as the majority of people are downloading and streaming you can bet they will begin dropping physical media. Believe in player choice, what a load of guff. They'd all have our wages transferred directly into their own bank accounts if they could. And fair play, why wouldn't they?
I hope they open up there streaming more to android devices etc for remote play. I can see a lot of people liking the alleged "seamless transition" of games between devices that stadio will supposedly give you.
My initial emotional response to streaming is “No way. I like to own my media.” But I have to admit I use Netflix just like the rest of the world. I’ll probably join the movement eventually.
as long as the way I like to game stays I do not care if streaming is available options is KEY disc or download will always be my favorite way to play.
The thing is, if you have good enough internet to stream a game, then you have good enough internet to download the game in minutes. What is this solving? Hardware power on the console? Never been a pain point. Hard drive space? Only becomes an issue when my backlog is huge, because sony won’t let me sort uninstalled games into a backlog of played/unplayed.
@Mega-Gazz well if you purchased everything on Netflix you could spend thousands of pounds, the problem it solves is streaming any game for a good value monthly or yearly subscription. You get great value for money with Spotify and other services when you think about it so if the value for money is there, and the technology is there, it becomes a bit of a no brainier once you get over any emotional hang ups. Then of course no hardware required beyond a controller, able to stream to any screen in your home including phones and tablets.
The International Space Station has a quicker internet connection than the one I have!
So yeah, I'll pass.
Whilst I have no interest in streaming or digital download game purchasing, I am glad that Sony are offering gamers choice. Whether Physical purchases do become the least popular method of gamer purchases (where games are released in multiple formats - I know Digital rakes in more money but that includes all the digital options like DLC, indie digital only releases etc), I still think its important that gamers are given the choice rather than forcing gamers down 1 path.
@kyleforrester87 subscription pricing for day-0 AAA games would be intriguing (PS++?) but I can’t see publishers going for it yet.
No, my internet is slow so I prefer disc or download (using ps4 rest mode).
@Mega-Gazz it’s a balancing act, uncharted territory n all that. Music publishers of the 80s and 90s wouldn’t have gone for Spotify.. it became bigger than them in the end though. Same things happened with the porn industry funnily enough.
I feel this article is completely misleading..
Streaming is no where near as important for at least five more years.
"choice"
I'm all for choices and options, as long as it stays a choice or option.
I remember when PS+ was a choice. I know technically it still is, but not if you want to play online.
So the question for me becomes - how is Sony planning on monetizing that "choice"?
PS+ - optional on PS3 w/ games, themes, avatars, IGC, for $50
PS+ - required for PS4 online, but also PS3 and Vita games, $50
PS+ - two PS4 games and $60
I don't think they'll require PS Now, but maybe physical games will be $70 now, or $80 while digital is $70. Nobody is paying $60 to stream 1 game. Xbox Gamepass is a good value, but that was this Gen. We'll have to wait and see what next Gen brings.
@JJ2 That's your opinion. The likes of Google Stadia and the image above prove that the streaming future is closer than we might think. Sony is literally putting its streaming service on a level playing field with physical discs and digital downloads in its investor meeting.
@LiamCroft
It literally just says 'SIe believes in gamer choice'. No mention of it being as important as download and disc. I m just going by what it says.
If Microsoft is behind it then I don't want to know and won't pay for it to if Microsoft are going to get any money out of it :-/ So then I DON'T WANT TO KNOW(I said it in capitals just to make it clear)
In Australia we still don't have PS Now. Highly unlikely we will ever get streaming here.
Besides for anyone currently using PS Now, is it good value?
Many games take me months to complete due to other commitments, so in that sense purchasing a game might make more sense.
Steaming hold no appeal to me on a home console or PC.
The only place it has some appeal would be in portable gaming, where, if, somehow the issues of speed and data limits could be overcome, one could play console quality games on a smartphone, with real physical controls.
Also I have a bridge to sell you, with a free bottle a snake oil as a bonus.
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