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PlayStation Now Private Beta coming to the UK very soon

Sony will roll out a private beta for its PlayStation Now PS4 games streaming service in the UK this spring.

PlayStation Now allows users to play games that are actually being run on remote computers, with the image being streamed to the player and the player’s controller inputs to the remote computer, as has been previously seen with services such as OnLive.

At launch the service will mirror what is currently available in the US by offering a range of PS3 titles, all of which will be compatible with PS4’s DualShock 4 controller. Compatibility with other PS Now devices such as Vita will arrive at a later date.

Launch titles will include Sony’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, The Last of Us and God of War Ascension. Ubisoft will offer Rayman Legends and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. A few other titles have also been named, including Saints Row: The Third, Just Cause 2, The Walking Dead and Dirt 3.

PS4 owners can register their interest here - https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/explo ... ation-now/

suzzopher wrote:I played Motrostorm Apocalypse, Uncharted and Shatter via this last night, all ran great, you wouldn't think they were streaming.

Pattybean wrote:God damn I signed up for this beta and got planetside which I have no interest in.

PlayStation Now: the Digital Foundry verdict

There's a really simple principle that has driven the cloud gaming concept up until now - PC technology is utilised to run games at 60fps, resulting in an approximate input lag reduction of 50ms compared to the same game running at 30fps. That latency saving is then offset against encoding video, transmitting it over the internet and decoding client-side. In effect, you get 60fps visuals with something approaching the input lag you get from a 30fps console experience. That's the theory at least - and based on what we've seen with GeForce Grid, that's definitely the most optimal route to cloud gaming actually becoming viable.

Sony's approach is different. In using what is effectively standard PS3 hardware, PlayStation Now does not have access to that crucial latency saving - it needs to claw back the milliseconds elsewhere with customisations to the PS3 architecture (perhaps Sony has replaced the HDMI controller with a hardware h.264 video encoder) and savvy server placement to keep internet latency to a minimum. With no means to physically reduce input lag in the actual games, conventional wisdom suggests that the end result shouldn't work very well, but in many cases, PlayStation Now exceeds expectations and hands in a perfectly serviceable gaming experience: not as good as playing locally of course, but still enjoyable on a range of games.

However, the quality of the experience depends heavily on a number of factors gamers may not be fully aware of: network conditions are crucial, for starters. There's also the choice of display too - a laggy screen can definitely impact the quality of the experience on many titles and can add almost as much latency as the streaming service itself. There's the sense that PlayStation Now perhaps pushes its luck in terms of acceptable lag on some titles, and external factors Sony has no control over could unduly impact the quality of the gameplay. But given the technological limitations Sony had to deal with, PlayStation Now is an impressive piece of tech - but latency concerns aside, whether a subscription/rental business model based around a catalogue of old games can gain traction in the light of OnLive's failure remains to be seen.