LOS ANGELES — Looks like we don’t need one of those expensive systems to play games.
The PlayStation Now game-streaming service’s open beta test is July 31 on PlayStation 4 home gaming console, Sony announced during its Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference today. PlayStation 3 and Vita versions coming soon after. PlayStation Now will also come to certain Sony televisions, eliminating the need for an actual PlayStation game console — just plug in a controller and play.
PlayStation Now is a service that enables gamers to instantly stream older PlayStation games. The beta includes games from the PS3 library.
PS Now is Sony’s answer to the PlayStation 4’s lack of backward compatibility, meaning it can’t play disks from older systems. Streaming enables you to play a game while a different computer actually handles all of the processing, like what happens when you watch a movie on Netflix.
Sony also detailed the PlayStation TV, a small device that runs PlayStation Now games, downloads Vita and PlayStation Classics, and stream music and video. The device will retail for $100. A $140 bundle includes a Dual Shock 3 game controller, a memory card, and a voucher for the The Lego Movie video game.