Long-Awaited Feature Might Soon Come to PlayStation Now
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about whether or not to subscribe to Sony’s PlayStation Now service, there is a possible new feature that could change your mind: the ability to download. According to a Reddit user (via VG247.com), a new ‘Download Game’ option has appeared on the service’s menu. The description adds the line “Return to Game Detail and start downloading the game.”
At the moment, this is apparently only piece of a placeholder text – choosing the option does not cause anything to actually happen. However, it does indicate that the ability to download games is coming to the PlayStation Now service at some point. And that might be a game-changer for some players, because you’ll no longer need a super-fast Internet connection and ultra-high bandwidth to enjoy games in a smooth and lag-free way.
While Sony’s game streaming service has a vast library of titles from the PS4, PS3 and PS2, and the list of games is constantly growing, players have long pleaded with the company to add a download option. Sony has steadfastly refused up till now, maintaining that it wants to keep PlayStation Now as a streaming-only service. But the appearance of this new feature could signal a change in the company’s philosophy.
Going even further, this new development invites speculation that Sony is looking ahead to a future non-physical console generation. We’ve reported here before about how the next console generation could be the last, and the addition of a download option on the PlayStation Now service puts a major piece into place for a full virtual gaming platform. Plus, we’ve also reported that Sony is thinking about incorporating PlayStation Now access into its PS Plus yearly subscription. Could we be seeing first stages of an online-only “PlayStation 6”? It is only a theory at this point, but an intriguing one nonetheless.
Stay tuned to COGconnected as we continue to follow news on PlayStation Now and the rest of the gaming world.