Game streaming is in the zeitgeist once again, with Microsoft making it a key Xbox Game Pass component, Google launching the troubled Stadia, and Amazon leaping into the fray with Luna. Sony has long had its own cloud gaming service, though: PlayStation Now. Launched seven years ago, PlayStation Now lets you browse a library of more than 800 games, and stream them to PC, PlayStation 5, or PlayStation 4—no game downloads required. Unfortunately, PlayStation Now’s weak third-party library and poor PC search functionality prevent it from being a top-tier game streaming service.

Jump In Right Now

You can access the free app through the PlayStation Store on consoles or the PlayStation Now website on PC. You’ll need a PlayStation account to sign up for the service.

There are multiple PlayStation Now subscription tiers. The lowest tier costs $9.99 per month, with three-month ($24.99) and 12-month ($59.99) options that offer discounts based on paying for more time upfront. There's also a seven-day free trial if you just want to check out PlayStation Now before making a commitment.

In contrast, Xbox Game Pass only has two price tiers. You can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass on PC or console for $9.99 per month, or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you Xbox Live Gold (required for console-based, online action), Xbox Game Pass on console, Xbox Game Pass on PC, and cloud gaming for $14.99 per month. There's currently a sweet Xbox Game Pass deal that offers the service for just $1 for the first month. It lacks a truly free trial.

PlayStation Now doesn’t delineate platforms. Once you’re subscribed, you can fire it up on PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. Sony recommends a 5Mbps download speed to play games, and states that PlayStation Now can deliver 4K streams (the same as Google Stadia). The service supports cloud saves, and you earn PlayStation trophies while playing, as you would with local PlayStation games. PlayStation Now supports online multiplayer action, too. 

PlayStation Now on Console

On PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, the PlayStation Now app lives in the Gaming menu. Within the app, the Latest Titles section highlights the service’s newest games. There’s also a Collections tab that lets you browse themed game groups, such as “PlayStation Exclusives” and “Downloadable.” The Browse tab contains the entire PlayStation Now catalog, and useful filters help you find the games you want to play. You can also search by title, or browse the games that you’ve marked as favorites. 

After selecting a game, PlayStation Now takes you to the game’s page. There, you can begin streaming the game, or download the title if the option is available. The list of downloadable games is smaller than the overall PlayStation Now library—and there are no PS3 games in that list. Still, PlayStation Now includes classics and popular titles, such as Bloodborne, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Street Fighter V.

PlayStation Now on PC

PlayStation Now on PC requires a computer with at least a 2GHz Intel Core i3 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 300MB of storage, and the Windows 7 operating system (with SP1). Sony recommends a 3.8GHz AMD A10 or 3.5GHz Intel Core i3 CPU, which are years-old chips. So, PlayStation Now won’t strain your system.

On PC, PlayStation Now is far more limited than its console counterpart. There’s no search function whatsoever, which is perplexing given the large game catalog. The games are simply grouped by categories. There’s no way to access your favorites list, either. If you want to play Mega Man 10, you must scroll all the way down to “M” and then scroll right until you find it. Annoying.

On the upside, PlayStation Now lets you use many different PC controllers. The app recommends a DualSense or DualShock 4 controller, but I plugged in an Xbox One controller and played games without issue. I don’t know the full extent of PlayStation Now controller compatibility; the website that the PlayStation Now PC app links to timed out when I tried to access it. 

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PlayStation Now lacks a mobile app, so you can't game on the go. In contrast, Microsoft offers an Xbox Game Pass app for mobile streaming with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (unfortunately, the service doesn't stream to an Xbox One, Xbox Series S, or Xbox Series X…yet).

Game Time

PlayStation Now has exclusives, such as God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Infamous, and Journey, but it also has cross-platform gems like Dishonored 2, Lego Batman 3, Limbo, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, and Soma. You can play the entire Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series, 10 Lego games, both modern XCOM games, and even odd curios like Way of the Samurai 4. 

Given the service’s long history, you’ll find games stretching all the way back to the PlayStation 2. Sure, there are only 16 PS2 games available for streaming, but it’s nice to have the option. The PlayStation 3 library is more robust, and when you combine it with the PS4 library, you have the option to play entire franchises on PS Now. Take the Batman: Arkham games. On the PS3 side, you’ll find Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Origins; on the PS4 side, you’ll find Arkham Knight. Likewise, every God of War game is on PS Now. Impressive. 

At the same time, there are odd catalog holes, especially regarding PlayStation exclusives. There are four Ratchet & Clank games, but PlayStation Now lacks the first title and its PS4 remake. Uncharted 1-3 are in the catalog, but Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy are not. Microsoft has made a good effort to put most of its games on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud streaming, and I wish Sony would do the same with its in-house offerings.

The holes in PS Now’s library also include modern releases. There’s oddly only a single Call of Duty title—2015’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. It’s got Mortal Kombat and Injustice 2, but no Mortal Kombat 11. The last NBA 2K was NBA 2K18. PS Now also lacks PlayStation 5 games at the moment, in keeping with the missing modern games theme. Again, Microsoft is much better at blessing its Xbox Game Pass subscribers with contemporary titles.

Head In the Cloud

So how does PS Now run? Pretty well. I have a fairly robust internet connection (900Mbps download and upload) that’s piped into my PC and PS5 via wired connections. As a result, loading a game takes approximately 30 seconds, from clicking the “Stream” icon to seeing the game title card. 

Overall, the game quality is pretty good, though there is image quality loss due to streaming compression. Naturally, downloaded games aren’t compressed at all. PlayStation Now doesn’t remaster old titles or benefit from the PS5’s super-fast SSD, so visuals and load times are in line with their original platforms. I didn't experience major hiccups during my test period, but I noticed a little input lag while playing Darksiders Genesis and Ultra Street Fighter 4. You can play fast-paced titles and input-sensitive fighting games on PlayStation Now, but they won’t be the optimal experiences.

Game saves are seamlessly transferred from platform to platform; my Darksiders Genesis save was available on both PC and PS5. Unfortunately, PlayStation Now doesn’t support save states. You also can’t take screenshots using the PS5’s screen-capture functionality. On PC, you can capture using screen-capture software. 

A Quiet Contender

It’s odd that Sony doesn’t do more to hype PlayStation Now. It’s a cloud gaming service that stands up fairly well to the competition, delivering more than 800 PS4, PS3, and PS2 games with just a button press. A good chunk of those can be downloaded for offline play, too.

On the other hand, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, an Editors’ Choice pick for game streaming services, is a mélange of various, cool features. For $14.99 per month, you can download more than 360 games to an Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X, with some titles featuring better visuals and improved loading times. Plus, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers more than 100 games on PC or mobile (via streaming), including high-profile, first-party exclusives (Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5) and hot, third-party titles (EA Sports UFC 3, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order). PlayStation Now has the infrastructure and the library to compete; Sony just needs to get fully in the game and bring its full weight to bear.