14 DAY TRIAL // The PlayStation Now open beta stage has received more details from Sony, with the Japanese company confirming when the public test phase will kick off across platforms like PS4, PS3, or PS Vita and in what regions at first.
Sony impressed lots of fans with the announcement of the PS Now cloud streaming service at the beginning of the year, using the Gaikai infrastructure to stream gameplay from PS3 titles onto platforms like PS4, PS3, PS Vita, or even Sony Bravia TVs, not to mention tablets and more.
After organizing a special closed beta stage in the last few months, Sony has confirmed at E3 2014 that it's going to debut the open beta for PS Now in the United States and certain regions of Canada this summer.
More specifically, PS4 owners will be able to get in on the PS Now open beta on July 31, provided they're located in North America, with the only exceptions being Alaska and Hawaii.
PS3 owners will be able to also participate in the open beta in September. Throughout 2014, Sony has also pledged to bring the PS Now beta to other platforms, like the PlayStation Vita, the PlayStation TV, as well as to Sony Bravia HDTVs and other devices.
"Sony has been conducting a private beta on PS3 systems with select participants since this January and more recently with PS4, and has been working towards the delivery of the open beta while receiving constructive feedback from users," Sony said about the new beta.
"By expanding the beta to the general public, SCE will give more gamers the opportunity to experience the benefits of game streaming and also continue to collect important user feedback to further evolve the service."
According to the company, the open beta will kick off with over 100 titles available for rental and streaming made by Sony itself and by other third-party companies. These include Dead Space 3, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, Ultra Street Fighter 4, or Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus.
Rental options will include different durations, such as a few hours or a few days, and range in price from 3 USD/EUR to 20 USD/EUR.
During the open beta, Sony has pledged to listen to customer feedback and adjust the games on offer, their rental periods, as well as their pricing, in order to please as many people as possible. The subscription option is still planned but no details have been given.
Expect to hear more about PS Now as we head into the next month.