It would seem as though Microsoft’s gaming battles with Sony are leaving the hardware battlefield and entering a new echelon of competition.
Earlier today, Sony announced its PlayStation Now service will begin supporting PS4 games and in and of itself, the announcement seems pretty par for the course. The progression of PlayStation Now to include the PS4 library seemed like a no-brainer for PlayStation fans, but its new cross-platform implications could be an issue for Microsoft looking to corner the market on PC gaming.
With PlayStation Nows ability to serve up and stream PS4 games similar to selecting content on YouTube or Hulu, it makes owning a PS4 or subscribing to the service while on a PC, that much more viable. Also, Sony is throwing in a seven-day free trial for interested parties.
The news comes safter Microsoft announced its pivot with Windows 10 and Xbox gaming. With Play Anywhere, Xbox and Windows 10 users were beginning to see the early framework of high fidelity cross-platform gaming. Paying one price to then have a game that travels across devices could have been an issue for a Sony, who’s previous efforts were tied to purchasing $300 plus devices for top-notch gaming experiences.
Sony has yet to mull over the full details of the plan, but we’re sure to hear more about both PlayStation Now’s PS4 library support as well Microsoft next moves in gaming, in the coming months. As both Microsoft and Sony move to emphasizing software experiences in conjunction with console gaming, the edge would seem to go to one of the world’s largest software maker.
