Sony's online game streaming service called PlayStation Now is abandoning support for a number of devices this year, including the Vita, its own PS3, Blu-ray players, and smart TVs from Sony and Samsung.
The move, according to Sony, signifies its shift of focus and resources to two platforms instead of a bunch.
Sony Killing Off PlayStation Now For Other Devices
Paying customers will have exactly six months left to continue playing on currently supported devices before Sony officially ditches support come Aug. 15. After which, the streaming service will be exclusive to PS4 consoles and Windows PCs. Owners of Bravia TVs, however, will stop receiving the service earlier than other devices, with PlayStation Now to be dropped April 1 for that platform.
"After thoughtful consideration, we decided to shift our focus and resources to PS4 and Windows PC to further develop and improve the user experience on these two devices," wrote Brian Dunn, PlayStation Now's senior marketing manager, in a blog post published Wednesday, Feb. 15. "This move puts us in the best position to grow the service even further."
Growing The Service
Hints of growing the service might suggest that Sony is prepping up for broadening the game selection on the streaming service. At present, it's limited to games for the PS3, but rumors of PS, PS2, PS4, and PSP titles have been suggested in the past.
New games are typically added to the library each month, with the latest batch consisting of titles from Koei Tecmo.
The good news, however, despite the imminent death of PlayStation Now for other devices, is that one's cloud saves can be retrieved, but only on the PS4 and PC. If one doesn't have either of which to continue their game saves on after the service is yanked, Sony is advising to disable the auto-renewal to avoid being charged.
The announcement also speaks volumes about Sony's continued neglect of Vita, its powerful but underselling handheld console. As per Ars Technica's report, the move adds to the company's continued deprivation of Vita, having already yanked games and features off the handheld prior, presumably because of its lackluster sales.
PlayStation Now
PlayStation Now debuted in 2014 for the PS4, which then expanded to the PC platform last August. The service, at present, costs $20 per month, or an option to opt for a $45 charge every three months. Non-PlayStation devices, such as smart TVs, required either a DualShock 3 or 4 to use the service and at least a 5 Mbps connection to achieve smooth performance.
Beyond shifting of focus and resources as Sony's reasoning, it's not really clear why the company is pulling the service away from a dearth of devices. From its development standpoint, the decision makes sense, and it would likely result to more time spent on getting games on the service, as Sony will only have 2 platforms to worry about.
Still, the news may come as a gut-punch to some users.
Subscribed to PlayStation Now? How do you feel about Sony's decision ditch PlayStation Now support for other devices save for the PS4 and PC? Feel free to sound off in the comment section below! Also, might as well tell us your most favorite games on PlayStation Now.
