The PlayStation 4 Cloud Redefines How You’ll Play Online
The new PlayStation Network will integrate the cloud in new ways thanks to the power of Gaikai.
Dave Perry, CEO and founder of Gaikai, came on stage to discuss the new cloud experience for the PlayStation Store. Players will be able to try the full games instantly and for free right from the cloud. Just as impressive, the cloud will allow for digitally downloaded games to be played instantly, while the game is downloaded in the background.
The new cloud-powered PlayStation Network will allow you to be able to share instantly from the games you are playing while you are playing. Ustream integration will allow you to schedule broadcasts of your streams if you want. None of this was actually on display at the event, but in the coming months Sony should have more to show when it allows for better, lengthier demonstrations.
Backwards compatibility will be a thing of the past, as PS3 titles are not natively supported on the PlayStation 4. Gaikai is working on new technology to hopefully provide integration that will allow any PlayStation game from any era to be played at once on the PlayStation 4, or on any Sony device. The service will be rolled out in phases in the coming years.
The PlayStation Cloud certainly offers some interesting ideas and concepts, but whether or not they'll be pulled off successfully remains to be seen.