Earlier today we reported that Sony has released the first details on the upcoming PlayStation Now subscription service, including pricing, games and more.
So, is it worth your time and money?
Well, that’s dependant on what console you opted to play your games on during the last few years. If you were primarily a PS3 gamer then the chances are that you’ve probably enjoyed a fair few of the games that are being presented with the PS Now service, heck, you probably got a few of them for free with your PS Plus subscription.
Then again, not everybody plays the same games. You may have missed out on a couple, maybe finances were tough and you couldn’t afford the latest releases as they hit the shelves and you subsequently forgot about them as time went by. In that case, you’re probably not going to resent yourself for dropping $20 on months subscription.
However, if you expatriated to the PlayStation clan this generation after playing the Xbox 360 for a few years, the service may well be worth more to you than it is to the PlayStation veterans.
PS Now isn’t all about third-party content, there’s a fair few first-party games that are exclusive to the PS3. Take the likes of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, The Last of Us, inFamous and Sly Cooper as some prime examples of what the PS3 had to offer in its prime.
Sure you could have just bought a PS3 to get your hands on the exclusives, some people actually did do that, but the vast majority of players stuck with one console. They may seem pretty cheap now, but if you’re just buying it with the intention of just playing a few exclusives, it suddenly seems quite expensive.
Pricing
For just under $20 you get a month of continuous service, but if you buy three months worth you get it a little cheaper, despite a larger upfront cost of $44.99.
During the beta period of PS Now many people complained that the prices were a little inflated. Some games actually ended up more expensive to rent than they were to buy, but to be fair, the compared prices were for used copies. Still, rather expensive.
It led to many people, myself included, to speculate that Sony would introduce a subscription service of sorts, kind of like Netflix but for games.
In essence, this is exactly what PS Now is – Netflix for games. There’s no cap on how many you can play, you just pay your fee and enjoy the rides.
Value
We’ve established that the pricing isn’t too bad for what you get, but how does it stack up in terms of value? Are the games worth $20 a month?
In short – yes. At least for now.
The current line up of games is actually pretty sweet. Take a look at some of the games included down in the list below.
The Last of Us
inFamous
Telltale’s The Walking Dead (Season 1)
Red Faction: Guerrilla
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Ratchet & Clank: Into The Nexus
Batman: Arkham City
God of War
Killzone 3
That’s just a snapshot of what will be available come January 13th. The cost of all of those games? You’re looking at well over $100, especially if you were to buy the digitally.
Granted, you may have played a few of them and in that case the value does slightly diminish.
Conclusion
Personally, I’d be over the moon if these prices translated fairly across the pond to the UK and Europe. £20 for all you can eat gaming? Sounds delicious and our greedy thumbs cant wait to test the waters.
Hell, PS Vita owners will just be happy to have something to play on their device. Poor sods.
What do you reckon? Great value or a tad too expensive? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below.