Playstation Now

Playstation Now is the official client of the service of the same name, which allows you to play PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 games on your PC by streaming them from Sony's servers. To deploy PS Now, Sony once purchased the famous Gaikai cloud computing service, which allowed you to run games on a remote server and broadcast the picture to the player's computer via the network. Actually, Now is built on the same principle. To use the service, you need a paid subscription, after which access to a library of hundreds of games is provided, which can be played on modest hardware in the presence of a quick and stable connection to the network (at least 5 Mbps, a wired connection is recommended). In addition, the service requires a DUALSHOCK 4 controller, connected via USB cable or a wireless adapter; other XInput controllers may work as well.

Streaming quality is what matters most in Playstation Now. The service originally streamed games at 720p, and since 2021 games that support it can be streamed in 1080p. PlayStation 3 games ran at similar resolutions on the console, so you can get a picture close to the "physical" console. On the PC games can only be streamed, not downloaded, and the input delay depends on how close Sony's servers are to you, so the quality of the "picture" may vary from city to city.

Playstation Now supports cloud saves and online multiplayer in compatible games. In 2022 Sony merged the standalone PS Now subscription into the PlayStation Plus Premium tier, and the PC client is now called PlayStation Plus; it still lets you stream classics such as The Last of Us, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption, Heavy Rain and many others.

Playstation Now lets you stream a large library of PlayStation games on a modest Windows PC, given a fast and stable network connection.