Sony to stream PlayStation 4 games to PC users

One of the biggest barriers to playing a number of video games was set to be removed, as Sony confirmed plans on Tuesday to let PC owners play PlayStation 4 games on their machines.

Previously, titles released exclusively for the Japanese gaming giant’s console required a user to invest in the PlayStation 4 equipment - an expensive and bulky purchase, especially for gamers who were only interested in one or two titles.

But in a blog post on Tuesday, Sony spokesman Brian Dunn said it would extend its PlayStation Now streaming service to PCs - although the post was light on details, offering no information as to a launch date or any features or restrictions on the PC service.

PlayStation Now allows a user to stream a video game to their PlayStation console, without having to download the entire game or purchase a physical copy on disc.

It is currently priced at £12.99 per month, and already allows users to play older PlayStation 3 titles on their PC, but not the newer PS4 titles.

The move would likely be a boon for Sony as its console reaches the middle of its life, having been released in 2013, and with competitors such as Nintendo releasing their own new products this year.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun gaming website writer Brendan Caldwell said the service would allow PC gamers to try console-exclusive titles such as Resogun, Bloodborne, The Order: 1886, and Horizon: Zero Dawn.

But he was sceptical as to whether Sony would be willing to let these recently-released, exclusive titles onto the PC service so early.

“It's unlikely that all of these are going to be available straight away,” he wrote, adding: “but those which were released early in the machine's life will probably appear.”

Sony’s competitor-across-the-road, the fellow Japanese firm Nintendo, released its latest console earlier this month.

But the ‘Switch’ has been plagued with teething troubles, including a massive number of customer complaints about the machine’s quality.