It looks like PlayStation Now is getting a download feature
PlayStation Now may soon become a lot more desirable.
PlayStation Now is Sony's game streaming service. PS Now allows players on PS4, and even PC to stream a large line-up of games over the internet.
The library of PlayStation Now is always expanding, and includes titles spanning PS2, PS3, and of course PS4 games. The only problem is that, because you're essentially streaming big video files, you'll need a great internet connection to be able to enjoy it artefacts-free, not to mention have reasonable latency.
For years, PlayStation fans have been pleading with Sony to allow them to download these games, but the company always maintained that PS Now is a streaming service. However, it looks like the platform holder may be changing its mind soon.
A PlayStation Now user on Reddit noticed a new option in the service's pause menu. The option simply says 'Download Game' with a description that reads, "Return to Game Detail and start downloading the game."
At this time, choosing this option doesn't do anything. The fact it's there at all, however, could be an indication that Sony is finally going to allow subscribers to download PS Now games to their hard drives.
Even with a blazing fast internet connection, nothing beats the low latency and crisper image quality you get when the game is played off the drive, especially when it comes to PS4 games.
Enabling downloads would also allow Sony to compete with Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service, which only offers game downloads to subscribers. PS Now does not yet offer day-and-date first-party exclusive releases like Game Pass does, but there's nothing stopping Sony from bolstering the service with similar incentives.
Because, as it stands, PS Now is being ignored by arguably most PlayStation owners because of its high bandwidth requirements. Sony has often caught flak for failing to offer any form of backwards compatibility on PS4, and doing this will instantly allow millions access to a huge assortment of PS2 and PS3 games.