Now, I could complain about the price and lack of content, or I could bitch about the PlayStation device requirement… But God damn, it works. It actually works, Wilma! Ain’t that a charm?
PlayStation Now is expensive, sure. It doesn’t offer much value for the high price tag. It doesn’t even offer multiple payment terms, and only has very minimal integration with the PlayStation Network, but the service itself? Yeah, it’s virtually free of any and all lag! Like, with OnLive, I noticed some lag. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to take notice of, especially in PlayPack games. But with the PlayStation version of OnLive, the lag is damn near absent.
For testing, I launched a fighting game. Specifically, I opened up Virtua Fighter 5 and started playing. As an arcade fighting game, it requires precision input, meaning lag would make the whole thing a no-go. But to my surprise, I noticed zero lag. None. Nada. There was literally no delay whatsoever while playing Virtua Fighter 5.
So, then I opened up another game. This time, a first person shooter; Killzone 3. I noticed some very minimal lag, but that’s only because I spammed the movement button and was specifically looking for a delay. After I got into the game mindset, I had a blast, and didn’t notice the lag at all.
So, colour me surprised. PlayStation Now works. But, do I recommend it?
Well, that’s hard to say, honestly. While it does work, I just don’t think there’s enough value to justify a $45 price tag. Sure, it has games, but it’s no where as many as OnLive, which happened to also be 50% less expensive. OnLive had over 250 games for $10 per month, while PlayStation Now has 100 games for $20. I mean, the value speaks for itself, doesn’t it? OnLive was the best deal in gaming, period.
But, Sony bought OnLive and closed them down. PlayStation Now is your only real option if you wish to experience the wonders of cloud gaming. Which sucks, since they’re keeping it restricted to only a handful of devices, all of which Sony.
So, do I recommend PS Now? Yes, but also no. It really depends on your gaming tastes, and if the current game lineup is of any interest to you. PS Now has Uncharted 1 through 3, as well as God of War. It had Sly Cooper, and Ratchet and Clank. It also has Fat Princess, which is a personal favourite of mine.