Subscription to Nostalgia: PlayStation Now

I've owned a PS4 for two years now, and it wasn't until recently that I tried PlayStation Now.

PS Now is PlayStation's subscription gaming service, allowing users to stream-play older Playstation games. I've seen it referred to as a Netflix of games, and while that isn't the most apt description, it's a good place to start.

For a monthly fee, you can stream over 450 games, at least according to Playstation. One of the issues is that, like Netflix, I always seem to run into the same titles, and it takes some sorting to find games I haven't seen. I will say that I enjoyed the "oh!" moments of finding cool titles that I didn't quite get enough of; the Resistance series, Killzone 1-3, and every God of War title, for example.

Now, in one of the previous articles, "Make Games Great Again", I mentioned that I'm a sucker for nostalgia. I am. I spent 14.99 on Red Faction. I've played it for 14.99 minutes. PS Now seems to be an answer for stupid idiots like me who can't let go of the sometimes-glorious past. Access to a whole library of older games is a treat, and since I was young when the PS3 came out, I didn't get a chance to play some big titles.

But there are a few crutches. Price being one of them. Normal subscription price is $19.99 a month. That's a little steep, in my opinion. While there are some awesome titles, there is also a lot of junky titles that act as filler, probably just so that PS Now can boast hundreds of games. I'd estimate that there are only about 50 or so games that I will actually play, and that's only because I missed the boat for a good chunk of the PS3's life cycle. 

A couple of Reddit users and internet commenters also mentioned that buying a PS3 and the games would be cheaper in the long run. A 12gb, mostly useless PS3 from Gamestop runs at 70 bucks. Add to that fact that almost every PS3 title more than a year old will likely be less than $20 used, this route might be a wise choice. 

20 bucks a month by 12 months is $240 bucks, and you could get a PS3 and a sizeable collection of quality games for less than that. Also comparable, a Gamefly subscription will send you 2 games a month for around $22. 

(You know you want another one of these fuckers)

One positive of PS Now is that there are titles that have been remastered and put on PS4, but are playable via PS Now. "The Last of Us" and "God of War 3" are prime examples. While the multiplayer functions on these game have been axed, it is very clear that the storylines were the compelling component (although The Last of Us had great multiplayer). So, again, for people like me, PS Now might be worth it, just to try (not commit to) such games.

But for every positive, there is a negative, at least in this case. Playstation Now is a streaming service, and considerably more taxing than Netflix or Hulu. Therefore, if you do not have at least a mid-grade internet speed, you might be out of luck. My console is wired into the router, and that definitely helps Luckily, PS Now will test your speed beforehand, much like SharePlay does, to see if "YOU CAN EVEN HANDLE IT". (Bro Team, 2012) 

PS Now, ultimately, is probably not worth it for more than a trial basis. It's fun to bounce from game to game, and I enjoy the splitscreen function on some of the games, but the price-tag is too high, especially since it's an expensive convenience, given the numerous alternatives.

Good news is, there is a free trial of 7 days, and I believe 1 month is only $9.99 right now, So fuck it.