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[Riven326]

I'm considering trying PS Now and would like some opinions from those that are currently subscribed or have previously used the service. Also, what do you think could be improved going forward with the service on PS5?

 

[Nikana]

Are you interested in streaming and downloading, one or the other?

 

[INC]

Honestly no its not

You get the odd game thats OK, it needs some sort of PSNow credit system, each month you get a credit for a game of psnow or something.

I'm not paying for both


Edit: I misread thought it said psplus

 

[Riven326]

Are you interested in streaming and downloading, one or the other?

I would prefer to download the games. I hear streaming can introduce latency in the controls.

 

[McCarth]

I no longer subscribe but am considering doing so again soon. While many others want to see more new games, I'd rather see them greatly expand the PS2 and PS1 catalogs in the service.

 

[Nikana]

I would prefer to download the games. I hear streaming can introduce latency in the controls.

It will most definitely add latency to the controls. I ask simply because not all games are downloadable. Only the PS4 and PS2 library is downloadable.

The library is very large and has quite a bit of games in it. Its worth it to do the free trial and see how you like the selection.

Streaming is hit and miss for a lot of folks. For some its totally serviceable but others have tons of issues. Depends on location and your internet set up. If you are going to be doing streaming you will most definitely want to have a wired connection.

 

[GHG]

I would prefer to download the games. I hear streaming can introduce latency in the controls.

If it's for downloads then look at the library and decide for yourself:

PS Now | On-demand PlayStation games on PS5, PS4 or PC

Join PS Now for instant access to a huge library of PS4, PS3 and PS2 games, ready to stream to your PS5, PS4 or Windows PC, or download to your PS4 console.

www.playstation.com

AFAIK all PS4 games are downloadable.

 

[MadchesterManc]

Personally it is worth it for me, recently subscribed again after several months away. The Ps4/Ps2 games offered on the service for download are quite varied and good quality, currently playing Warriors All Stars, Metro Exodus, Toukiden, Tokyo Xanadu and Control. To be honest I do make quite a bit of use of the streaming of Ps3 games too. Occasionally stream something on the Pro at home, but I mainly use it at work to stream some Disgaea or Atelier on my laptop - has a large library of Ps3 Jrpg to stream if you enjoy them & latency isn't an issue there. A lot of people overlook the ability to stream on a PC/Laptop, but it's one of the standout features to me

Edit: As for improvements all it really needs for me is some work done on the streaming side, Increasing the resolution & bitrate to improve image quality mainly.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

I gave it a test run on my PC, I don't care for it. If your controller is wireless and you don't have their official dongle 90% of games won't work for some reason, like if they have motion control sections or parts that use the dumb touchpad you're SOL. There's really bad lag spikes, some games the added input lag just makes them unplayable. It really needs to let you download games to your PC like Gamepass.

 

[Vawn]

Look at the games and decide. The streaming works and you can download PS2 and PS4 games.

It's not worth it to me. I hate subscription services where I'm paying for stuff I don't want.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

yeah if you want a ton of games for basically free then it's worth it.

i only use the downloadable games. works like a charm.

 

[shubik]

I have it for a couple of months now and honestly, it´s not bad at all. I´m strictly downloading the games as I don´t like streaming. The collection of games is decent and since they upgraded the service couple of months ago you had some real bangers on it as well.

I would say it only makes real sense for someone who is new to PlayStation and/or this generation. If you haven´t played the big blockbuster games yet, there is a ton of value for your money here.

 

[hxcmuziq]

I got it on sale for $30 or 40/yr and am really glad I did but probably wouldn't pay full price. I have gig internet, so I stream everything now and have noticed no lag and cleared up space on my hdd. I love that I can play games on my laptop if my kids or girl are playing something. Taking the service on the road is kinda hit or miss but definitely do able.

 

[TexMex]

It's regular on sale for 30-40 bucks a year. The buy in is so low I barely think about whether it's worth it. I usually end up claiming several of the free game offerings, the regular PSN Store discounts are nice, and I play online a ton. Because of that one it doesn't really seem optional.

 

[FrozenFlame]

Although I have a 100/50 connection, the streaming experience has been awful (so no PS3 games for me). As for the downloadable PS4 titles, eh... Depends of how much are you willing to pay for the games that you want to play from all the currently available games in there. My issue with PS Now is that the major titles are only there for 3 months and there's a lack of new indie titles.
That's what I enjoy about Xbox Game Pass (PC). This month I was able to play 2 games (Carrion and Neon Abyss) that were just released plus Forager, that was released last year.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Video game streaming is a difference maker.

 

[Zimmy68]

Never mind, I thought the thread was asking about PS Plus. Please delete.

 

[yurinka]

While ago they mentioned in a powerpoint for investors that they had future PS Now plans to vastly improve it on the new gen, in addition to support it more since until recently it was a very secondary stuff for them.

Can't remember the details, but I think they planned to improve resolution, image quality, latency, server infrastructure, pricing, catalog, amount of platforms where can be played and business model.

I don't remember the details but as I remember they mentioned that in the past you were only allowed to buy the game physically, now you can also buy digital games and in the next gen you'll be able to buy them for streaming. They didn't specify if it's for PSNow users who doesn't own a PS5 as a separate purchase from digital or retail, or if it's the same but they will add to your PS Now library your PS5 purchased digital or physical games.

 

[Jtibh]

I got a year long sub on sale.

With control spiderman shadow of tombraider and some others i already got my money's worth.
Streamed some ps3 games though somwtimes it just doesnt load so its a hit and miss.

I think the service is getting better but for now i dont think its worth it.


I say look at the library see if you can pick 10 games you want to play and buy a year sub.
Those 10 games will pay for your sub plus you will still have many months of new games to come.

I only advise you to stop buying games on sale from that point on as you dknt know whats coming to psnow and i got burned with metro exodus where i bought it on sale and the next week it came to psnow.

 

[Tulipanzo]

It's alright. It's got a handful of kind of fun downloadable titles, and a really solid streaming selection.
Make sure you have an optic fiber connection tho, my quality was inconsistent until I upgraded.

The biggest improvement for PS5 would be full BC (which they've been teasing a lot), so maybe wait a couple months to see if anything changes.

 

[Memorabilia]

PS Now is a rolling dumpster fire.

 

[Jtibh]

PS Now is a rolling dumpster fire.

Please explain why?

 

[mitch1971]

It's regular on sale for 30-40 bucks a year. The buy in is so low I barely think about whether it's worth it. I usually end up claiming several of the free game offerings, the regular PSN Store discounts are nice, and I play online a ton. Because of that one it doesn't really seem optional.

This sounds like you are describing ps plus, not ps now.

 

[Enjay]

I'm considering trying PS Now and would like some opinions from those that are currently subscribed or have previously used the service. Also, what do you think could be improved going forward with the service on PS5?

It's great when it works. So it depends on your isp, area, etc.

 

[dead monkey uk]

If I was Sony, when the PS5 releases I would put all PS4 first party games permantly into PS Now.

Also if some PS4 games get a PS5 patch it would be a way to further promote PS Now to PS5 owners.

 

[TexMex]

This sounds like you are describing ps plus, not ps now.

Yep I'm a huge dummy.

 

[Cutty Flam]

Also interested in hearing more answers from PSNow subscribers, and their thoughts on the games they provide month to month etc

Riven326 i also hear you’d place your sister in the spank bank

 

[Rikoi]

I sub when there is a game that interests me and then I unsub.
For example I played God of War with psnow and my experience was smooth since you can download PS4 games.
On the other hand I tried Left Behind back in the days and PS3 streaming was awful.

 

[Portugeezer]

Technically it's worth it, but it doesn't mean I will play much of what it offers. I subbed for a couple of months earlier this year, I played Control, SotTomb Raider, Horizon, to name a few.

But then I didn't really play enough of the other games, so I cancelled my sub.

 

[Cutty Flam]

What happens when you download a game on PSNow onto your PS4, and then after months of playing it, chipping away at it, the game is removed from PSNow?

Can you still play that game you downloaded on your PS4 or is that impossible since they took it off PSNow server, and the game is deleted from your memory drive?

How does it work in that scenario?

 

[DarkMage619]

How is PS Now different from Game Pass?

 

[Sethbacca]

I paid like $40 for a year's worth. It's got enough downloadable games to make it worth my while though there's a lot of overlap with past plus offerings.

 

[Arkam]

I got a year for $60 and have been happy with it. Close to 1,000 games and about half are PS4 games (So you can download them). Wish there was an SLA on Sony first party games. Doesnt need to be day/date, but I would like to know the date so I can decide if I want to purchase now or wait for it in the service. The streaming experience is solid as long as I am on a good connection. The 720p streaming quality will be noticeable on a big screen for sure. But since you are only likely streaming the PS3 games its not that bad as most were Sub 1080 anyway.

I would love to see Sony merge PSNow and PS+ into one package. Maybe a slight discount!

 

[Rodolink]

if you play all or most games they let you "own" each month and you play online yes. otherwise is just a waste.

edit: again was confused by PS+

 

[VALCON 82]

i paid around 40 bucks for it as well.. i feel as long as i complete 1 game within a year i have already paid for it compared to buying a "newer" used game. So far i have played around 2 or 3 games so im already in the black

 

[Gamerguy84]

For me personally yes. A lot of it is filler content and yiu can google the games list.

I can choose any game and just start streaming it. If its PS4 or PS2 I can download it if I like it. Ive played through many PS3 titles by streaming.

The key with streaming a game is to hardwire the console. IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I dont care how fast your internet is. I used MoCa adapters to use my coax cable since I didnt have the plugs running through my house.

The quality of games has gotten a lot better but I dont think youll see day one games on it too much. Ive used the service a lot though.

 

[AmuroChan]

For $60 a year I say it's definitely worth it, especially if you have kids. It's been a big cost saving moving my kids over to PS Now.

 

[Derktron]

Here’s what they can improve it and could potentially dismantle Gamepass as PlayStation has a bigger image when it comes to bigger support. They should follow what Xbox is doing by adding their games to their lineup of PS Now but not on release. Do it about a year later so it doesn’t dismantle potential sales in which in my opinion it doesn’t. Also extend all games on PS Now when on Gamepass games on there have longer times being on the program giving more opportunity to allow people enough time to play it. Giving some games 3 months to play is not enough with some. I personally don’t like that and it’s a turn off to play some major games. Also give out a discount for those games that are PlayStation Now only when the game is about to expire. So that you may continue to play it. Also another thing to point out. Lower the cost of the program. Do it similar to Gamepass. Maybe that would bring more customers. For me after 3 months are up I won’t be subscribing again. Only if they are improve it.

edit: forgot to mention, get more games similar to what Xbox has. Like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Kingdom Hearts.

 

[FrozenFlame]

What happens when you download a game on PSNow onto your PS4, and then after months of playing it, chipping away at it, the game is removed from PSNow?

Can you still play that game you downloaded on your PS4 or is that impossible since they took it off PSNow server, and the game is deleted from your memory drive?

How does it work in that scenario?

You lose access to it. When you download a game from PSNOW (or even PS Plus), if you check the information section, there should be a validation date (when your subscription runs out or when the game is going to be removed from the service). If you try to play the game that is installed on your console but no longer available on the service, a message will pop up informing you that you don't access to that game.

 

[MadchesterManc]

What happens when you download a game on PSNow onto your PS4, and then after months of playing it, chipping away at it, the game is removed from PSNow?

Can you still play that game you downloaded on your PS4 or is that impossible since they took it off PSNow server, and the game is deleted from your memory drive?

How does it work in that scenario?

The game locks in the same way a PS+ game would if your subscription ended. You keep your save file and such tho so you can continue from where you left off if you purchase the game.

 

[Agent X]

I've been a subscriber for about 4½, years, and I'm quite satisfied with it.

The selection of games is huge, with over 900 games available now. I'd say just about anyone can find something to play. I'd estimate that about 550 of the games on the service are PS3 games (which are only available for streaming), while the remainder are PS4 or PS2 games (can be downloaded on PS4, or streamed to either PS4 or PC).

Streaming is extremely convenient, since you can choose your game from the menu, and be playing in a minute or less. This is great when you just want to play, and don't feel like waiting for 40 gigs to download.

The streaming quality has gradually increased throughout the years. The are far less instances of hiccups or artifacting now, compared to when I first joined.

While I feel the service is great for what it is (especially at the price point it's at now), there's still room for improvement. Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Bring game streaming to a wider range of devices. It should be on mobile phones, tablets, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and so on.

2. Increase streaming resolution to 1080p or higher.

3. Allow you to purchase games through PlayStation Store, and stream them through PS Now (similar to how Stadia works now). This probably would be difficult to negotiate licensing rights to the thousands of games that are currently on PS Store, but surely Sony can figure out how to negotiate this for future releases. As far as existing games go, they should extend the invitation to game publishers to negotiate the rights for individual games on a case-by-case basis.

4. Add many more PlayStation 2 games, and also games from PS1, PSP, and PS Vita.

5. Sony used to regularly add 10 or more games to PS Now each month, but since they reduced the price last year, they've also greatly reduced the number of new games. Many months have only had 3 or 4 new games added, most of which are "big" games, but I miss some of the smaller, lesser-known games that would pop up. I'd like to see them bring back more smaller games or indie titles (which looks like something they're starting to do now).

6. They usually dump the whole lump of games at the top of the month, and then (with very rare exceptions) don't bother adding anything else until the next month begins. They could instead stagger the releases, and roll out at least 2 or 3 games each week. This gives users something to look forward on a weekly basis, and keeps PS Now as a frequent topic of conversation.

 

[Amiga]

Subed because of the downloading. got to play a ton of well received games I passed on like Metro, Control, Evil Within, Guilty Gear... still tons more for me to play.

 

[Cutty Flam]

How long do the games typically stay for on PSNow, like 3-4 months then they switch it around some with like 80% all new games to play?

What is PS+ btw? Better than PSNow in any ways?

 

[MadchesterManc]

How long do the games typically stay for on PSNow, like 3-4 months then they switch it around some with like 80% all new games to play?

What is PS+ btw? Better than PSNow in any ways?

To be honest most of the library stays on the service, particularly the streamable PS3 games, it's usually only the major Ps4 games that leave it and it always states when it will be - usually 3 months after it's been added. Several games are added each month too.

PS+ isn't anything to do with PSNow, think of it as more like Xbox Live Gold. Each month tho you do get 2 or 3 games available to download and play, so long as you are subscribed, and these change each month.

 

[The Alien]

When evaluating a gaming service, you need to show the utmost concern about its sustainability, how it pays developers, and the amount of profit Sony will make from said service.

If these evaluations are not part of your consideration, than the service must be shit.

How do I know all this?
.
.
.
(Hint: I've seen enough Gaf posts to formulate this conclusion)

 

[Craig of War]

I think PSNow will improve greatly if they are using Azure like the 2019 partnership

 

[Knitted Knight]

I got too many games that I play Day One, and the multiplats that are backlog I rarely see them make it there before I pull the trigger. My play time doesn't have much drought down time per say for me to get into that stuff. But, if you're in a tight budget, and don't care about ownership... this thing, just like Gamepass and EA Access, works for many people.

 

[GamerEDM]

not worth it

 

[Evangelion Unit-01]

I am not sure that PSNow is a great value today but it will be in the future. Sony will eventually evolve PSNow into a Gampass + xCloud model with their first party exclusives launching on the platform. It is just a matter of time. Same for Sony on PC. Sony doesn't need to move to the subscription/platform model yet and they are wisely taking their time to do so. Biggest unknown, IMO, is how will their PC strategy come together-PSNow sub via EGS?

 

[Trogdor1123]

Ps now is a terrific value. Way better than I expected. Tons of great games.