Sony has announced that it is pulling support for its PlayStation Now cloud-powered game streaming service from all previous-generation devices, leaving it a PlayStation 4 and Windows PC exclusive.
Announced back in 2014, PlayStation Now was born of Sony's acquisition of game streaming pioneer Gaikai and used the company's technology to two ends: to boost Sony's recurring revenue stream by offering access to games on a rental or subscription model and later to bring limited backwards compatibility to the company's PlayStation 4 platform. Later that same year, the company brought the PlayStation TV to the UK, allowing users without consoles to access PlayStation Now, followed by the inclusion of support in the company's Bravia TVs and selected Samsung TVs, and in August last year added a Windows client with the promise of macOS support to follow.
Now, though, the company is taking PlayStation Now in a different direction, and it's bad news for anyone who bought a PlayStation TV. In August this year, Sony is to discontinue support for PlayStation Now on all devices aside from the PlayStation 4 and Windows PCs: That means no more PlayStation Now access on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, Bravia TVs, Sony-branded Blu-ray players, and supported Samsung TVs. Oddly, those who have purchased a 2016-era Bravia with PlayStation Now support will get even less time to enjoy the feature: While earlier models will drop support in August, 2016 models will lose the functionality in April.
'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,' claimed Sony's Brian Dunn in a blog post announcing the closure. 'This move puts us in the best position to grow the service even further. If you use any of the above devices, we want to give our heartfelt thanks for your support, and we hope you’ll continue with us.'
Cheekily, anyone who currently subscribes to PlayStation Now will continue to do so even when they no longer have a supported client device. 'If you do not wish to continue your subscription,' Dunn warned, 'please remember to disable auto-renewal in your account settings so that your subscription ends by April 1, 2017 on 2016 Sony Bravia TVs, and August 15, 2017 on all other devices.'
Announced back in 2014, PlayStation Now was born of Sony's acquisition of game streaming pioneer Gaikai and used the company's technology to two ends: to boost Sony's recurring revenue stream by offering access to games on a rental or subscription model and later to bring limited backwards compatibility to the company's PlayStation 4 platform. Later that same year, the company brought the PlayStation TV to the UK, allowing users without consoles to access PlayStation Now, followed by the inclusion of support in the company's Bravia TVs and selected Samsung TVs, and in August last year added a Windows client with the promise of macOS support to follow.
Now, though, the company is taking PlayStation Now in a different direction, and it's bad news for anyone who bought a PlayStation TV. In August this year, Sony is to discontinue support for PlayStation Now on all devices aside from the PlayStation 4 and Windows PCs: That means no more PlayStation Now access on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, Bravia TVs, Sony-branded Blu-ray players, and supported Samsung TVs. Oddly, those who have purchased a 2016-era Bravia with PlayStation Now support will get even less time to enjoy the feature: While earlier models will drop support in August, 2016 models will lose the functionality in April.
'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,' claimed Sony's Brian Dunn in a blog post announcing the closure. 'This move puts us in the best position to grow the service even further. If you use any of the above devices, we want to give our heartfelt thanks for your support, and we hope you’ll continue with us.'
Cheekily, anyone who currently subscribes to PlayStation Now will continue to do so even when they no longer have a supported client device. 'If you do not wish to continue your subscription,' Dunn warned, 'please remember to disable auto-renewal in your account settings so that your subscription ends by April 1, 2017 on 2016 Sony Bravia TVs, and August 15, 2017 on all other devices.'
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