Consumer Electronics Show 2014: Introducing the PlayStation Now

Sony has officially announced PlayStation Now at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, a new streaming service with that will allow gamers to play PS games on multiple platforms.


PlayStation Now is the result of Sony's acquisition of Gaikai a few years ago; Gaikai was previously a game streaming service over a browser, similar to how services like Netflix and Hulu stream movies and TV shows.

NBC News tells us that the streaming service will be available on both current Sony consoles and even TVs released this year. Also, the intention is to create a huge lineup of games - and players will just select one and play immediately.

PlayStation Now works on any PS4, PS3, and most 2014 model TVs, according to a Sony representative. Just select a game from the list, let it load up and play as normal. But the image you see is actually being generated by a console probably a few hundred miles away, then streamed to you live, like a movie on Netflix.
Right now, only a few titles are available — some high-profile games from the last year or two. But Sony told NBC News that it plans to expand the lineup considerably, including games from the original PlayStation console.

PS Now will also be available on the Vita, according to multiple hands-on reviews.

How will it work on new TVs? Likely any models that support Bluetooth technology, which is what the DualShock 3 and 4 controllers use. An interesting take on this is the representative's use of "most 2014 model TVs" and not specifically saying Sony's BRAVIA lineup.

UPDATE: IGN's Scott Lowe reports in his first-hand impressions that Sony has announced DualShock 3 support on BRAVIA TVs only.

CNET breaks down some information in bullet points. There will be "both rental and subscription plans" with PS3 games supported at launch; it's expected that older games will be launched later in the service. Players will be able to play multiplayer with gamers using the service and using the disc-based version. "Games will stream at 720p resolution" and "5Mbps broadband connection [is] recommended."

Multiple reports say that a closed beta will launch later in January and it will officially launch sometime this summer.

That's all the concrete information; nothing has been released as far as launch date, prices, and any deals for those that own a PlayStation unit and subscribe to PlayStation Plus.

However, the service was active on the CES floor, and there were plenty of first-hand impressions.

Image credit: Flickr