Sony’s high-profile acquisition of Gaikai last year means that it’s only a matter of time before you’re playing PlayStation games on multiple devices. While the company intends to start streaming games to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita next year in North America, it also has plans to expand that functionality to non-gaming products, too.
Asked by Dutch network RTL News about its desire to explore outside of the traditional console space, SCEE president Jim Ryan emphatically iterated that it’s a “certainty” that the brand will arrive on a variety of different devices in the coming months.
“We acquired a company called Gaikai a couple of years ago, which provides a cloud streaming service,” he explained. “Starting next year in North America, and soon to follow in Europe, we will start streaming PlayStation gaming experiences to PlayStation devices, but also to non-PlayStation devices, like smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, televisions, and Blu-ray players.”
Quizzed whether the service would be limited to internally manufactured electronics, Ryan responded that it won’t. “No,” he said. “We will stream to, obviously Sony products, but also the possibility to stream to non-Sony products is definitely on the horizon.”
Are you still wrapping your head around the idea of playing PlayStation games on a smartphone or laptop computer? Do you think that this is a smart strategy for the platform holder moving forwards? Stream some feedback in the comments section below.
[source rtlnieuws.nl, via neogaf.com]
Comments 11
Terrible idea, there would be no need to own a PlayStation if they did this.
I think this could be incredible if Sony go about it the right way, I know there could be an additional cost for Gaikai streaming subscription, and then obviously the cost for the games aswell. Most likely games in the current gen won't be available to stream (so people actually buy a ps4) but also if you have a ps4 then the gaikai subscription cost is heavily reduced or non existant.
@Lelouch I don't think that's what they mean.
@Shellybird27 I hope not, otherwise they'll have singlehandedly destroyed the chance of a PlayStation 5 being made.
It's a very good idea to make money at the very least. And it obviously won't be comparable to a ps4/5/6... on a big screen tv if they even let you play current gen games (doubt it hard. Ps1 maybe)
Sure, go for it, But make sure that PS4 Games can only be played on just that...A PlayStation 4!!!!! >=/
As internet speeds increase streaming is the future, for all sorts of things.
GaiKai is a technology not content. It could be used for all huge number of different applications, with appropriate content for each one. Games for PS4, movies for iPads etc.
They are yet to prove it does what they say it will, but it if works, wait and see it coming to a fridge near you.
@Lelouch Remember, they're talking about streaming here. My guess is that you'll get limited-functionality remote-play of PS4 games for non-Vita devices, and get a similar streaming function to the one they announced for PS1/2/3 games on PS4. In this way, a PS4 is still mandatory to play PS4 games, but they can continue capitalizing on previous software.
They could keep certain content exclusive to PS4, wether its permanent or not doesn't really matter. Like how some TV programs are exclusive to certain channels or services. People that are interested in a few select games but don't want to buy a console to play them might be more willing to sign up for GaiKai.
I think this is an excellent idea, and if they are able to get everything working smoothly, Gaikai had a few issues but for the most part worked very well, they could eliminate the need for a Playstation home box entirely. Think about it for a minute. The biggest thing holding console gaming back at any given time is the hardware, since developers are limited to working with X amount of power for the entire life of the system. If Sony is able to get Gaikai working solidly, it will take the power component out of the system, which cannot be upgraded, and put it into Sony controlled servers, which can. Because of this, when game development would normally hit the console's ceiling, it won't need to wait on consumers to adopt an expensive box, and have the market and development fragmented, but can simply wait for the servers to be upgraded, added to, or otherwise altered. Effectively, this would let Sony make the Playstation platform as powerful as they needed it to be, lower the cost to consumers, and allow for a far larger audience to be reached.
The money is in the software, not in the hardware, so if Sony can implement a system to sell you software, and make profit, without needing to sell you hardware, which is expensive to develop and often sells at a loss, they will be making one of the smartest business decisions possible.
Edit: Also, for anybody who is saying that current gen streaming wouldn't be possible, I was playing Crysis, Trackmania, and other current release PC games through Gaikai's free PC services without issue. I was streaming a game from their servers at ~720p without enough lag to make a twitch heavy game a problem.
Edit 2: The issues I mentioned with Gaikai came mainly from the same issues any remote control PC application has, getting confused between which inputs influence which system. E.g. certain keystrokes I would do in game might affect my computer or cause me to lose focus on the game window.
I think it is the right time if play station can extend its range to non-gaming things like playing high definition videos smoothly. The recommendations by https://suncruisermedia.com/4WDrive/trucks/cheap-ways-to-ride-4x4/ source for hiring a vehicle sounds good for me.
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