Sony’s PlayStation Now game streaming service has been up and running for a few months now, but has had trouble gaining traction, mainly due to the ludicrously high rental prices of most games. However, this morning, Sony announced a new subscription plan that makes it easier to access the service’s enormous game library.
The subscription program will kick off on January 13, with a seven-day trial period that will allow players to see what it has to offer without any given charge. After that, fans can either pay $19.99 on a monthly basis to access the games, or fork over $44.99 for a three-month plan.
As of right now, the program is only for the PlayStation 4 console, but a rollout to other platforms, such as PlayStation 3, PS Vita and some Sony and Samsung television models, is expected over the next few months.
From the picture above, you can see the 100+ games that will be available through the service, including popular favorites such as The Last of Us, God of War: Ascension and the Ratchet & Clank games, as well as more obscure favorites like Darksiders II, El Shaddai and Red Faction: Guerrilla. The rotation is expected to change on a monthly basis, similar to what Sony does with its PlayStation Plus game program.
There may be concerns from those wondering why the service isn’t being integrated into the PlayStation Plus program, which requires its own monthly (or yearly) subscription. However, this is a big step forward for the service, and it should no doubt pick up circulation with the PlayStation Now program as it moves into a new year.
Sony is expected to provide more details – and possibly a demonstration – later today during its press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show. For now, though, players should definitely look forward to the official launch of the subscription service next week.
