Sony is all set to appoint a group of PlayStation 3 consoles with a custom new OS to improve and make the PlayStation Now’s service reliable.
As reported by Eurogamer, the new hardware will match the capability of eight custom built PS3s in one single server assembly. Sony did experiment with retail units of PS3 but later found the idea to be inefficient for many reasons. Firstly was the space and power requirements which compelled engineers to shrink eight consoles into one motherboard placed in a slimline server cabinet.
Secondly are the latency issues. The report mentions that, “In order to retain compatibility with the existing library of games, the code-facing hardware within PlayStation 3 cannot be changed significantly: Cell and RSX – the CPU and GPU of the veteran console – can’t be radically changed without introducing incompatibilities with the existing library of software. This presents a problem: the majority of PS3 titles run at 30 frames per second with input latency in the region of 100-150ms. Add on the cloud overhead and you’re looking at a rather unsavoury, laggy experience.”
The measures taken by the Gaikai team at Sony to overcome latency issues are uncertain, because only they have the advantage of getting hands over the intricate details of PS3 design and discuss with the Sony engineers who built the console.
PlayStation Now will be ready for a 2014 Q3 launch in US and a Q4 launch in Asia , while Europe will have to wait till 2015.
What is your take on Sony’s strategies for PlayStation Now? Let us know below.