Sony Begins Testing PS5 Game Cloud Streaming For PS Plus Members
Sony has officially started testing cloud-based game streaming for select PlayStation 5 titles, explaining that the perk will be available as a benefit for PlayStation Plus subscribers who are signed up for the Premium tier. If Sony's move rings a bell, well, that's because Microsoft has been offering cloud-based game streaming as a freebie to Xbox Games Pass subscribers for a while now.
The games available for streaming include the PS5 titles offered as part of the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog, as well as those available within the Game Trials library. Plus, all of the supported PS5 games that you own will be available to stream via Sony's cloud servers. The biggest advantage of cloud-based game streaming is that you don't have to wait for the titles to download — rather, all you need is an adequately fast internet collection to get straight into the game.
Down the road, Sony says it plans to enable "cloud streaming capability for PS5 titles in addition to the PS3, PS4 and classic titles that are already available for Premium members." Right now, the whole project is in the early testing phase, and Sony doesn't say exactly when the cloud-driven game streaming feature will be released widely. Unfortunately, the cloud streaming option won't be available to PS Plus users on the lower (and cheaper) subscription tiers.
The convenience of cloud streaming comes with a bigger price tag
To recall, the PlayStation Plus subscription service is available in three bundles: Premium, Extra, and Essential. In some markets, you get the Deluxe instead of the Premium option. The Essential plan, which costs $9.99 per month, lets you enjoy a refreshing library of games, exclusive discounts, online multiplayer benefits, exclusive in-game content, Share Play, and access to a cloud storage container.
The PlayStation Plus Extra tier starts at $14.99 per month and adds two key perks viz. access to Ubisoft+ titles and Games Catalog. The latter is a separate bracket of PS5 and PS4 titles that gets new content on a monthly basis — though, unlike Xbox Game Pass, you don't get to play new games on their release date. Finally, we have the PlayStation Plus Premium bundle, which starts at $17.99 per month or $119.99 per year.
This one lets you play a handful of games to a limited extent before you splurge cash for a copy. Subscribers also get access to the Classics Catalog, which lets you enjoy old gems like "Tekken 2," "The Last of Us: Left Behind," "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection," "Ninja Gaiden 3," "Doom (1993)," and "Duke Nukem Forever," among others. The final PlayStation Plus Premium differentiator is, of course, the upcoming cloud streaming service.