I didn’t think there would come a time when we could get access to a gigantic library of games for the price of a cab drive around a block. But, technology never ceases to amaze anyone. I guess with the rise in streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime, it was only inevitable that we’d see something like it for video games. And if you’re here, chances are you’re trying to look for one for PlayStation 5.
As it turns out, there does exist a streaming service for them, and it’s called PlayStation Now. In fact, PS Now has been made available since 2014, but it’s only taking off now due to the rising popularity of streaming services these days. But the real question is, “Is PS Now worth it?” The article encompasses points for some of the following thoughts:
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a fundamental idea on the service, you’ll come to an understanding of whether it’s something for you, and you’ll figure out if PS Now is worth it — which is what you’re here to find out!
Before we go on to answer if PS Now is worth it, let’s talk about it first. For starters, PlayStation Now is a cloud gaming service, with a subscription-based monetization model, that first began in 2015.
With it, you could play absolutely any new game that is available through the service for a nominal fee.
It’s quite like your usual Netflix experience in that you pay, and you play! You don’t have to feel fussy about keeping a physical collection of games.
And the prospect of installing games is completely eliminated because you’re streaming the games. (Of course, unless you wanted to download the games, which you could, but more on that later.)
The other upsides to this service are that you can relive your nostalgic experiences with a number of games taken directly from the PS4, PS3, and even the PS2 eras of gaming, including PlayStation exclusive games and other older games, such as the Uncharted series, or the Resident Evil series, respectively.
But, the downside? Well, two points:
Even so, it’s an ambitious move that could potentially change how we approach video games.
The service comes with a week’s worth of free trial, so check it out sometime if you’re curious.
“How does PS Now work” is a raging question among a lot of PlayStation users. But, it works much like any other cloud-based media service like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Disney Plus.
You have a wide lineup of games to choose from once you’re a member.
These games can be played from start to finish, and you can play them through any supported device.
If we count the latest consensus, which was last done in 2020, PS Now has at least 800 video games, with approximately 40% of that number being made available for download to the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5.
Your best bet would be to make the most out of your investment. The reason is quite simple: The PS Now lineup rotates on a monthly basis.
If you’re a PlayStation user from one of the following regions, then you can get started with your PS Now subscription immediately!
The pricing tier is split between 3 models. The first is the most popular choice; the monthly model worth $9.99.
The other two include tri-monthly and annual models, which stand at the prices of $24.99 and $59.99, respectively. Tax may be applicable, so it’s best to treat these prices as exclusive of it.
The service itself consists of 800 video games, with more than 300 games being listed on the service as downloadable (more on the download part later).
However, I did mention that the lineups tend to change every month, so do keep that in mind. Here’s the subscription page if you want to begin using PS Now.
You’d have to first see if PS Now is available in your region. Assuming that it is, the service wouldn’t require any additional requirements from you apart from a direct download from the PlayStation Store.
Once you’ve got the app set up on your console, just launch it, pay your subscription fee, and you’re good to go! The procedure may be different for other devices. More on this later.
There are a few things to keep in mind about the service itself, though. I’ve put some brief points on that.
Well, they’re not strictly PS Now requirements, save for one or two points. But, these are definitely part of making your experience with the app a lot better.
So, here are some pointers on how to use PS Now, or what the requirements of PS Now is.
All of this starts with your PlayStation Network account. You’ll need it to use PS Now, much like most other cloud services.
The second important point is that the service works only on PS4 and PS5 systems as far as PlayStation systems go. Support for the other PlayStation systems has been dropped since 2017. So, ensure that you’ve got either a PS4 or a PS5.
Also, why is this point secondary to the first point? Well, because you don’t need a PS4 or PS5 system to use PS Now.
Non-PlayStation devices can stream games via PS Now, but you’ll still need your PSN account to login, pay for, and use the service.
Since it’s a streaming service, PS Now requires an internet speed of at least 5 Megabits per second (Mbps, for short) or above.
If you convert the minimum amount, it’s basically 125 KiloBytes (or 0.125 MegaBytes).
The PS Now bandwidth usage may differ from user to user. Still, keep the minimum number in mind. If you can get that speed, then all the better for it. If you regularly stream your content on another service without issues — say Netflix or Disney Plus — then you shouldn’t face problems.
Let me ask you this: Is PS Now worth it if it allows you to play online multiplayer games for free? Because it’s true! You can play online with PlayStation Now. You don’t have to pay any extra fee for playing multiplayer games through PS Now. All the pricing options give you full access to the games for the time frame they’ve given you.
Some assume that you have to pay for a PlayStation Plus membership to play online multiplayer games through PS Now. But that’s not true at all, so don’t do it! Here’s a clearer explanation on the differences between the two services if you’re feeling confused.
Yes, PS Now does work on the PC!
To expand on that a little more, you will need to stream your PlayStation games through PS Now if you’re using non-PlayStation devices. This confirms that PS Now not only works for PC, but it’s also built with most devices in mind.
The only caveat to this is that you’ll need either a DualShock 3 or 4, DualSense, or any other XInput-compatible controller (yes, an Xbox controller works, too!) in order to use the service through your non-PlayStation device.
Unfortunately, PlayStation Now is for Windows. Meaning, it is not available on Apple devices, including the Mac.
Short answer: No, you cannot download PS Now games on your PC.
I want to bring the point about downloading PS Now games back. Primarily, PS Now is a streaming service.
BUT… you don’t have to stream your games if you’re playing it on your PlayStation system.
You can download the PS Now games on your console and have fun without the need to stream anyway. (After all, you could download over 300 games!) If you’ve got data caps for your internet, then this helps save your data.
But this is exclusive to consoles; non-PlayStation devices do not get this luxury.
Much like other subscription-based cloud services, if your subscription expires, then your content will be locked away.
You’ll need to renew your subscription to stream games again. So, you cannot keep PS Now games forever.
You can, however, keep the progression you’ve made in the games (whether it’s a PS2 or a PS3 or even a PS4 game) for as long as you’d like (save data, trophies, etc.).
When it comes to the offline games you download, you get an extra week to play them. Once the week is up, they are locked, too.
To unlock them, you will need to renew your PS Now subscription.
Personally, given how much the service already provides us, PS Now is worth it regardless of the shortcomings.
If we take a look at the bigger picture, the issues are manageable.
So, now that you know what PS Now is, how it works, how much it costs, and what it needs, all that’s left is to try it out yourself!
So, here’s what you’ll need for the service, and how you can download it on PC.
Here are the minimum PC requirements you’ll need to meet in order to run the PS Now service properly:
If you’re trying to figure out how to play PS Now on PC, then follow the steps I’ve provided. The setup is rather simple enough that you can get it running in just short of 10 minutes, tops.
With all of what’s been said, now it’s time to dig into the not-so-charming parts of the service, and see how it stacks against the good stuff.
So, is PS Now worth it in all cases? Jury’s out, but here are some points to keep in mind about it. After all, there’s nothing that’s “too good”.
The service itself is not expensive, though. But the price points are a little awkward to look at.
Cumulatively speaking, if you were to go for a monthly plan every month, then you’d be coughing up a total of $120 versus the annual plan, which is worth half of the same price!
It’s a lot better to go for the annual plan in most cases.
Of course, don’t let that stump you! Think long and hard about what price point fits you best, and how frequently you’d use the service.
And speaking of the latter, the next point might put you off of it.
Notice that I wrote “stream”, and not “download”.
When it comes to offline downloads, you can play the games with resolutions that go up to 4K with no problems. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the stream quality.
Gaming streams are locked at 720p.
Which means there is no solution to how to improve PS Now quality, visually speaking. It’s been stated that you could circumvent this problem by upscaling the quality with a high-end GPU.
But, not only is this only applicable to desktop owners, but it also seems far-fetched, given how the service does not rely on your GPU, only your internet connection. On top of that, you have input lag to worry about; a case that is likely to occur in streaming services.
Understandably, most folks wouldn’t feel comfortable with this. You could potentially fix the latter with a better internet connection, but not the former.
1080p is pretty much the mainstream today, so we can only hope that the streaming quality gets better in time.
This is when thoughts turn from, “PS Now is amazing”, to, “Is PS Now worth it, then?” Clearly, it’s not a question so easily answerable.
As of now, streaming PS Now on your non-PlayStation device is only possible if you’re a resident of the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom.
So, is PS Now worth it if you can only stream from your PlayStation system? That depends entirely on you.
If you have budget and time constraints, then the investment is definitely worth it. The service is worth its price tag for anyone who enjoys gaming in short bursts. But, you’ll need a PlayStation system to enjoy it.
For a service that’s available on a wide number of non-PlayStation devices, it seems trivial to think that you could use your keyboard and mouse to play the games on PS Now.
Sadly, we’re going to have to put a big “if” on that. As of now, PS Now doesn’t support a keyboard and mouse controls for your gaming experience.
If you don’t have a controller, then you simply are going to need to shell out some money for it.
But is PS Now worth it even if they didn’t give support for those peripherals? For the most part, it certainly is. But, it depends on what you’re personally comfortable with.
Assuming that you’re already a member, let’s say that you didn’t like what PS Now has to offer. Or, you simply want to save on money (because game streaming can be expensive for your data).
By following the steps I’ve provided for each of the different platforms, you can learn how to cancel PS Now subscriptions.
It’s not too much trouble to find out how to cancel PS Now subscriptions on the console. This applies to both PS4 and PS5 systems.
If at all you’re not a PlayStation console user, but were actually using PS Now on your PC, then here are the points that address how to cancel PS Now on PC.
If you’re out of town or something, and you’ve only got access to the PlayStation App, then you’re not out of luck!
You can still cancel your PS Now subscription using the PlayStation App itself.
The current subscription will run its course, but you will not be charged for the next one. When the end date for the current subscription arrives, you will be unsubscribed automatically!
Of course! You have three services to choose from:
In the end, it comes down to what you think is more convenient for you. A lot of time goes into playing the games you pick. Most games these days stretch between 8 to 20 hours of gameplay easily. Personally, I think it’s worth every cent.
Not only do I get to explore a wake of games I’d have a hard time purchasing (since those games can cost a bomb), but I also get to finish them if I wanted.
It also acts as a testing ground for purchasing games; you could find out what game you’d play for a long time, and what game is the one-and-done kind before you go ahead with a purchase.
The service may not be for you if you’re slow with finishing games, or if you don’t want to play so many games in general.
In those cases, the 30-day window can be a bit off-putting. You could save your money by buying the physical copies instead, and playing them at your own pace.
But, if you’re either someone with a penchant for finishing games faster than Quicksilver could dodge bullets (Oof), or someone who wants a taste of everything that’s there, then PS Now might just be perfect for you!
Given how the subscription service gives you a 1-week free trial, there’s always a choice for you to give it a try before you make that judgement call.
And with that, you’ve reached the conclusion!
If you’ve already tried the service, then let me know what you think! Is PS Now worth it? Or would you rather stick to buying games?
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