It looks like Microsoft is about to get a little bit more competition from Sony over its PlayStation Now game streaming service. Previously limited to a lineup of PS3 games, PlayStation Now is set to expand its catalog to include PS4 games soon, Sony announced today.
Because PlayStation Now is available on PC, that means subscribers to Sony's service will soon be able to stream full PS4 games to their Windows machines. You could already accomplish this in a much more limited way through Sony's remote play, with which you could stream games you already own from your PS4 to a Windows machine. However, PlayStation Now is a wholly different affair, offering up Netflix-style access to select PS3 and, now, PS4 games.
If the timing on this seems a little suspect, that's because Microsoft announced its own sort of take on the PlayStation Now model in late February with Xbox Game Pass. Though still in testing, Game Pass will let Xbox gamers access a catalog of Xbox One and 360 games for $10 a month. Unlike PlayStation Now, Game Pass isn't a streaming service, however. Instead, you can download the full games to your console before playing.
Sony didn't provide too many details on the launch, but it's set to kick off a private test for PS4 games on PlayStation Now "in the next few weeks." Current subscribers will want to be on the lookout for an invitation in their email inboxes. As for the exact lineup of PS4 games or a full launch date, we'll have to wait and see.