Sony is working on its own cloud gaming experience and is leaning on its two-year partnership with Microsoft to help make this happen.
Talking to the Japanese medium Nikkei (translated by VGC), Sony CEO Jim Ryan explained that “we are still talking to [Microsoft] about brainstorming, and there are some very cool things, so when the time is right, we will announce our cloud strategy. We could use the cloud for our technical infrastructure, but the cloud gaming experience we offer will be unique and only on PlayStation. “
PlayStation has dabbled in cloud gaming and other streaming services in the past, but hasn’t yet invested in the technology as much as Microsoft, which recently expanded its Xbox Cloud Gaming service with the first beta version of iOS and PC. PlayStation Vue closed in 2020, but PlayStation Now is still up and running, and it just added some new games, including Borderlands 3 and Marvel’s Avengers. Sony clearly has ambitions for the cloud, even if they may not come true until 2022 or beyond.
But while Sony is looking to the cloud, it is not ready to commit to a cloud-powered ecosystem in place of traditional console cycles. “At the end of the cycle, the cloud can play a role,” Ryan said. “I am more optimistic about the future than a year ago.”
“We just released PS5, so at this point it’s time to learn how people enjoy it, and then we’ll take the time to think about the future of PlayStation,” he added.
In the same interview, Ryan said that the PS5 will have more exclusive games than any previous generation of PlayStation.
