Sony officially confirms that its game streaming service PlayStation Now is coming to PC, while the company also announces the DualShock 4 PC Adaptor.
Launching in full in 2015, Sony’s cloud streaming game service PlayStation Now has been available on PS3 and PS4. PlayStation gamers can stream over 400 games via the platform including The Last of Us, the Uncharted 1, 2 and 3, God of War 3 and platforming and adventure classics, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. While it’s unclear how successful the service, which allows gamers to rent games or pay for a monthly subscription, has been, it has given gamers a more convenient way to play some of the most popular and well-received games in PlayStation history.
Soon, PC gamers will also have the opportunity to get into the PlayStation Now action. After a photo album created by the PlayStation Blog prematurely blew the lid off the news, Sony decided to officially confirm that PlayStation Now is coming to PC. This move will "bring a wide selection of PlayStation exclusive titles to Windows PC for the very first time," says PlayStation Network SVP Eric Lempel, including games from the Uncharted, God of War, and the Ratchet & Clank series, along with the likes of The Last of Us and Journey. "Current subscribers have a new way to access PS Now’s library of over 400 games," says Lempel, adding that "the PC app provides a new way for even more gamers to discover and play the service."
Available from tomorrow in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands, an "exact launch date" for PlayStation Now PC in North America has yet to be confirmed. Lempel also notes that PCs must be running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 in order to use the service, and that a minimum 5Mbps connection is required to use PS Now on any device.
Moreover, Sony has also announced the DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adaptor. Set to launch in early September and costing $25, the device works with PCs or Macs and enables the light bar, motion sensor, vibration, the stereo headset jack and more "as long as the gaming application supports these features." While it is disappointing to know that gamers will have to buy an extra piece of hardware in order to get their DualShock 4 controllers working with their computers (the new Xbox One controller works wirelessly on PC without a dongle), many will be glad to know that they will no longer need to install drivers to make them compatible, as was previously the case.
While Sony previously rolled out an update letting PS4 players stream games to PC, the wireless adaptor and PS Now PC decisions are more significant. However, whether these can entice PC gamers to consoles over Microsoft, which has led PC gamers to warm to Xbox One by announcing features such as Xbox Play Anywhere, is yet to be seen.
As previously mentioned, PlayStation Now on PC begins tomorrow in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands, while a release date in North America has yet to be confirmed.
Source: PlayStation Blog