Sony Computer Entertainment announced last June the #DRIVECLUB PS Plus Edition to PS Plus members for the PlayStation 4 (PS4), confirming users can also use the network's "cloud" system to play their games on any console.
Sony confirmed the PS4 network will include online multi player options, automatic patch download, and cross-platform gaming for PS Plus members. Sony will provide a 30-day subscription offer for North America and Europe ($9.99 / €6.99).
According to PlayStation magazine, Neil Brown, Sony's R&D senior team leader explained the cross-platform gaming option:
"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."
Brown added that the game cloud also means never you will not have to wait to install your title. You can instantly access your game via fast loading and streaming from PS4 hard drive:
"A similar system also works on Blu-ray, chunks are automatically copied to the hard drive in the background. This means that after the first few minutes your game can rely on having faster read speeds from the hard drive. Which provides a better experience for players, and this is a completely background process for the player. They don't have to wait for anything to install before playing the game. The game will launch as soon as the disk has been put in the drive."
The PlayStation 4 is available for Amazon pre-order now, and is priced at $399. The next-gen console will hit store shelves this holiday season.
