Remember that killer feature that the Xbox One had that was nixed at the same time as the daily check in? You know the online library that can be accessed from any console in the world?
Well Sony has revealed that it is also going to do that and it is planning on doing it better than Microsoft ever intended.
According to Neil Brown, the senior R&D team lead, you will be able to access your games and play them from your friends house. But it gets better as they are well aware that not everyone has 100mb Internet to download a full title quickly so they’ve implemented a new technology where the game will download in chunks and then you can begin playing long before the entire game has hit the drive.
“You can visit your friends house you can log into your account and play any game from your digital library, which is good. But how useful is that if it takes half a day to download the game you want to play? With Play As You Download you get much quicker access to at least the first section of the game so you can start playing quicker. So this makes a digital library a practical option in the real world.”
And this new technology isn’t limited to downloading, with it also being used to enhance the installation experience. Once the game has installed enough to start playing you can boot it up and it will continue its install in the background while you start gaming.
I’m fully confident that now that Microsoft is no longer tripping over themselves to try and put out fires they can sit back and realise that they can implement some of their best ideas without the always on requirement and will match Sony’s announcements.
Gamescom is going to be great this year.
Oh and I couldn’t think of a header image that worked with this article so here have this instead
Last Updated: July 11, 2013
Dean
July 11, 2013 at 10:43
Guessing this is thanks to that Gaikai buy out
Argentil
July 11, 2013 at 10:47
Guys, this has been a feature in the last generation. Why was it touted as some amazing future technology? You can sign in to a friend’s PS3 and download your digital games there. Otherwise just take your disk, lol.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 11, 2013 at 10:49
Think it has more to do with download as you play, but that too is on PS3
HvR
July 11, 2013 at 10:51
But I think that is only available if the game is a segmented download.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
July 11, 2013 at 10:51
Yup, so this applies to all games?
HvR
July 11, 2013 at 10:49
Well I think it is Sony trolling MS, sort of a reminder that “we’ve been haven’t it” after the people are grumbling about the loss of Xbone digital game feature with no always on.
The play as you download is new though, and very cool.
Argentil
July 11, 2013 at 10:59
I wonder what the PS4’s account restrictions will be though. Sony have admitted that allowing 4 devices to access a library was a mistake for them. It would suck if you could only have one account on the device like the PSVITA.
DBL_ZA
July 11, 2013 at 10:53
Potential header image? (Compliments of Sony)
http://mightygoods.com/system/pictures/0002/0734/love-you-more-canvas-accent-pillow.jpg?1359562737
KingKappie
July 11, 2013 at 10:59
Good guy Sony
Slade Boender
July 11, 2013 at 11:04
hahahaha bloody brilliant image!
I dont knwo about you, but sequential DL’ing of games is a flippin brilliant idea. I can see friends going out to friends houses so much more. Nothing worse than leaving that one house party title at home when you know it’ll just be perfect to jam with whoever may be there.
What would be nice is if you could DL a specific part of a game at a mates place, those sticky situations you might need help with, or showing off some killer cutscenes. Maybe im just a sucker for social group gaming. Either way, pretty rad for both XB and PS
On a more techinical note though, if PS is going the Gaikai route, is MS just going to use their own farms or are there other companies that provide that kind of large scale digital distro/server farm space?
Argentil
July 11, 2013 at 11:11
MS have the infrastructure in place to add a Gaikai-like service. We’ll see what they do, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t.
Khulani Ndlovu
July 11, 2013 at 11:07
Lol, wait go Sony, you got my money there, if i can game while i’m downloading then what more can i ask for, 😉
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
July 11, 2013 at 11:23
GrumpyCat FTW
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
July 11, 2013 at 11:42
Told ya a hybrid system is possible. See Microsoft… Innovation! Not forced “The Future” crap.
Concerned
July 11, 2013 at 12:14
Wha ha ha ha! Sony trying to ride the wave with this “new” tech and the PS fans actually going “oooh” and “wow” is the funniest thing ever! I hear the PS4 is actuually going to allow you to connect the console to a TV, can I get an “awesome”? But seriously, Xbox one not going to have the play while installing is a big drawback….. Go read all the prevbious articles about this, this one deserves the same lulz!
Uberutang
July 11, 2013 at 12:20
So hopefully all your friends have fast 20mb or better uncapped internet.
Marc O Polo
July 12, 2013 at 05:51
with GTA V having a 8 gig mandatory install… i imagine some games will still have a long wait before you can play…