Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) has made a big update on the subscription of its online video game. The PlayStation service will soon allow players to stream PlayStation 4 video games. This is a deviation from the games that only ran on PlayStation 3 as well as older-generation Sony gaming consoles.
Sony is yet to specify when the update will be implemented but said it will be inviting some of its current subscribers of the current PS Now to experience the update in a privately organized test.
Sony’s PS Now enables users to stream over 500 PS3 games using PlayStation 4 gaming consoles as opposed to downloading each game. Sony in August updated its PS Now service to make it compatible with Windows PCs. This essentially turned people’s laptops and home computers into legacy PlayStation consoles.
According to the new updates, PS Now service subscribers will be able to play PS4 games using their computers and PlayStation 4 devices. Sony says players should be able to simultaneously play on two separate PS4s or even a Windows PC.
Sony did not reveal the PS4 games that will accessible once the new updates start operating. Some of the popular games available on PS4 include Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom.
In February, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced plans to start offering Xbox Game Pass, a similar video game streaming service. The Xbox Game Pass would enable people play more than 100 video games including both older Xbox 360 and Xbox One titles. The games will be available on Windows PCs and Xbox One gaming consoles.
In addition to Sony and Microsoft several other gaming companies are interested in developing similar cloud-based gaming. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) which is engaged in the production of chips announced in January that it is developing its own game subscription service that is similar to that of Netflix. The software would enable gamers to play their favourite and latest video games without the need to change or update their older computers.