Thanks to PlayStation Plus’ upcoming reboot, it’s easy to focus on what’s on the immediate horizon for PS4 and PS5 owners. With this new beginning, one significant part of Sony’s gaming ecosystem is also going to vanish forever. That’s because in order for PS Plus to be upgraded, PlayStation Now will come to an end in its current form after eight years.
Since its introduction in the US at the start of 2014, it’s fair to say that PS Now has been a polarizing service. More often than not, Sony’s answer to the rise of platforms like Xbox Game Pass has been forgotten about in comparison to PS Plus. While it’s easy to envision the new combined service taking its concepts to a whole new level, parts of the outgoing model will seemingly be lost forever.
PlayStation Now: End of An Era
As PlayStation Plus’ new tiered approach to content rolls out across the globe from May 23, PlayStation Now will gradually be shut down for good at the same time. In an attempt to be more competitive against subscription platforms like Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, Sony has decided to merge most of the former’s features into its more popular service. While it can be argued that PS Plus’ Extra and Premium tiers will carry on PS Now’s eight-year legacy, there are signs that it won’t be a 1:1 transition.
Having spent roughly $380 million on Gaikai in order to make PS Now a reality back in 2012, its closure still represents a significant event for Sony. Even though the service has never taken off to the extent that the publisher had hoped, its absence will be felt by PS4 and PS5 owners whenever they boot up their consoles.
PS Now’s Latest Content
Despite the fact that it’s been a poorly kept secret that PlayStation Now and PS Plus were going to be merged, that hasn’t stopped Sony from rolling out updates for the former on a monthly basis. Even official confirmation that the rebranded subscription service will be available in the US from June 13 hasn’t been enough to halt proceedings. Only a few weeks ago though, subscribers received official confirmation on the final set of games that will ever be added to PS Now.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 headlines PS Now’s May update, alongside SoulCalibur VI and the Metroidvania-inspired indie game Blasphemous. Even though no official confirmation has been given yet whether these games will be a part of PS Plus going forward, any subscriber with a PS Now subscription will likely want to play them before the end of the month. With the combined PS Plus being more expensive, there’s something to be said for players ringing out as much value as they can from what's currently available.
PS Now’s Outgoing Content
Even though the rebranded PlayStation Plus is being positioned as the best of both services by Sony, that’s not totally accurate. While the features found within the combined service will have aspects of both PS Plus and PS Now, the content that’s going to be on offer will be slightly different. As it stands right now, over 800 games are currently available through a PS Now subscription alone. When the services become one though, that number will reportedly be closer to 700. Crucially, with the introduction of PS1, PSP, and PS5 games, a sizable portion of PS Now's roster won't make the cut.
Before PS Plus' reboot even gets here, it looks as though at least 56 games will depart PS Now in its final month. These include games like Metal Gear Solid 5, Sonic Mania, and Valkyria Chronicles Remastered. The timing of this suggests that these titles won’t be a part of the combined service. Thanks to the messy nature of licensing agreements, there’s no guarantee that this content will be featured again in the future either. Each deal was likely signed with PS Now in mind, so a new contract will likely be needed. If this turns out to be the case, current subscribers are rapidly running out of time to play each departee.
PS Now’s Retro Legacy
PlayStation Now’s outgoing PS4 games are one thing, what’s likely to be a more pressing issue for subscribers are the older titles they’re going to lose when the switch happens. While there’s been several high-profile leaks regarding the retro games Sony is seemingly going to feature in PS Plus’ tiers, there’s a sense that a lot of the currently available classics won’t be featured. Throughout May alone, PS3 games like the Silent Hill HD Collection and Metal Gear Rising are reportedly set to vacate the old service as it is.
Based on Sony's non-committal language, it sounds as though the publisher is still actively in the process of signing deals with third-parties to bring retro content to PS Plus. However, with that context, it's a fairly safe bet that fewer PS2 and PS3 games will be available compared to what PS Now offers. There’s no guarantee that the missing games will return to the PlayStation Store further down the line either. With acquisitions also taking place on a regular basis, there’s always the chance that classic IPs could end up in the hands of direct competitors as well.
With the publisher’s efforts to provide viable backwards compatibility being notoriously mixed, it’s possible that hundreds of retro games could end up simply vanishing from the PS4 and PS5. Considering that the alternative for players is to track down the expensive original incarnations of these games and platforms, PlayStation Now currently represents the most cost-effective way to play these games. Saying goodbye to the service by checking out the classic games it offers, will likely be a priority for a lot of subscribers over the coming month as a result.