PlayStation Now could finally rival Xbox Game Pass, thanks to a new patent

PS5 games could come to PlayStation Now

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Sony’sPlayStation Nowservice could getPS5 gamesin the near future, based on a new patent that was filed by the company.

Thepatent, called ‘Ultra high-speed low-latency network storage’, was filed on April 27, 2021, and shows how Sony is planning to use multiple NVMe SSDs to store video game data (thanks,DualShockers). This data can then be dynamically streamed between the SSDs so that it can be delivered to the client without delay in case a drive gets overloaded or dies.

The addition of NVMe SSDs suggests Sony could be using the same drives found in PS5, which would naturally open the door to PS5 games appearing on PS Now.

As it stands, PlayStation Now only lets users download a large number of PS4 andPS2 games, but these can also be streamed. PS3 games are also included in the service, but they cannot be downloaded.

If PlayStation Now can add PS5 games to its service, it could matchMicrosoft’s recent plans to letXbox Game Pass Ultimatemembers stream Xbox Series X/S games onXbox Onevia the cloud. Microsoft recently announced thatXbox Cloud Gaming is now available to Xbox Insidersto test, with a rollout planned for this holiday (that’s between September and December).

PS4players could use PS Now to stream PS5 games, which would be great value for those who aren’t planning to upgrade to Sony’s new console anytime soon, which is still hard to find in stock.

Analysis: PS5 games on PS Now would be a huge win

PlayStation Now has struggled to attract subscribers in the same vein as Microsoft’sXbox Game Pass. PS Now hadover 3.2 million subscribersas of April 2021, while Microsoft’s subscription service surpassed18 million subscribersback in January 2021.

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The biggest difference between the two services is that Xbox Game Pass often includes notable day one releases, likeOutriders, gives subscribers access to every first-party game from Xbox Game Studios, and includes numerousXbox Series X and Xbox Series S optimized titles.

Meanwhile, PS Now often gets games at a much later date, doesn’t include Sony’s first-party lineup at launch, and there are no PlayStation 5 games available right now. Hopefully, that’s about to change.

Adam was formerly TRG’s Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.

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