I’m going down to hell to get some ice, you guys want some?
Here’s something you never thought you’d hear, you’ll soon be playing some of the best that Playstation has to offer on your personal computer that runs a Microsoft operating system. That’s right, it happened. About till just yesterday, i would’ve chosen to believe that pigs can fly over this absurd claim.
Console wars be damned. With Microsoft’s recent move to release all Xbox exclusives onto the PC as well and Sony’s latest decision to bring Playstation exclusive titles such as God of War, Uncharted, Last of Us etc onto it as well, I think its about time we put the whole argument to rest. Everybody gets to play everything, isn’t this what we all always wished for?
Now before you pull out the fireworks and light up the neighborhood, there’s a catch. Of course there’s a catch. You’ll be playing those exclusive titles over the internet with the help of Sony’s streaming game service, PlayStation Now. Somewhat like how Netflix works. So like any other streaming service, the quality will depend on the strength and speed of your personal net.
PlayStation Now has been around for around 2 years now on the PS4, PS3, PS Vita(Handheld), along with a handful of Blu-ray players and smart TVs. For $20 a month or $45 for three, the service gives players unlimited access to a long list of PlayStation 3 games.
There are some hefty demands, though. Along with the pricey monthly subscription and the stable internet connection, Sony recommends your Windows device “have a 3.5GHz (or faster) processor for best results”. That however is weird, considering that streaming services don’t really require much of local computing power, considering they are running on remote machines, being streamed on your machine.
In addition to all of this, you’ll need a Dualshock 4 controller to be able to play these games. Though an expensive piece of hardware, it comes with it’s perks: you’ll be able to plug it in with any standard Micro-USB phone charger cable, or a new wireless USB dongle that Sony will ship this September. That dongle will work with PS4 Remote Play.
At this point, a future without the need for consoles and the abolishing of exclusivity does not seem so far fetched.
As Eric Lampel, head of Sony’s Playstation Network stated:
The PlayStation launched so many great franchises, and this brings new life to them
