Sony announced that its subscription-based streaming service PlayStation Now will soon support PlayStation 4 games, giving PS4 and Windows PC players on-demand access to a variety of supported titles.
While details regarding the service’s PlayStation 4 expansion and launch lineup are scarce, Sony notes that a private test will kick off among a select group of PlayStation Now subscribers “in the next few weeks.”
Launched in 2014, PlayStation Now is a cloud-based streaming service that offers instant access to hundreds of supported PlayStation 3 games, including new releases and legacy titles. Unlike other gaming-focused digital distribution services, PlayStation Now’s content is delivered via streaming video, removing the need for players to download supported games locally.
While the service was originally compatible with multiple Sony-branded consoles and TVs, PS Now suffered a blow to compatibility in February when Sony announced that it was discontinuing app support for the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and Bravia TVs. Currently, PS Now requires either a PlayStation 4 console or a compatible Windows PC.
Sony’s scaled-back platform support for PlayStation Now was apparently a preparatory move designed to accommodate the service’s upcoming slate of PlayStation 4 releases. While Sony has not yet revealed which PlayStation 4 games are on tap for PS Now in the months ahead, the service currently delivers streamed versions of nearly 500 classic titles for the PlayStation 3, including Red Dead Redemption, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Mortal Kombat, WWE 2K15, and The Last of Us.
PlayStation Now subscribers won’t have to pay an additional fee to enjoy PlayStation 4 games, as Sony assures that “All of the games in the service, including PS4 games, will be included with a single PS Now subscription.” According to Sony, further details regarding PlayStation Now’s support for PS4 games will be revealed “as we get closer to launch.”
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Imagine tapping a Zelda icon on your iPhone and jumping straight into Hyrule. A new open-source project called nxnative makes that possible by repackaging Switch games you’ve bought into apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no emulator in the middle.
Why does this run so well on Apple devices?