PS Now is a subscription service offered by Sony. It costs $9.99 per month to stream and download a huge library of classic and indie PlayStation games. Most people access the service via their PlayStation, but it can also be accessed via PC.
With just a few simple processes, you can access and use PlayStation Now on your computer. You can play all of the games you would on PS, with the bonus that you can use your DUALSHOCK to play them! Here's how to get PS Now on your PC.
Minimum PC Requirements for PS Now
If you want to access PS Now, you first need to make sure your computer is up to spec. This means checking out what the minimum requirements are to be able to actually run the application and stream games.
Firstly, you need to be running Windows 10 (32/64 bit) or Windows 7 (SP1 32/64 bit) on a Windows PC. Sorry, Mac users, but PS Now isn't available on your platform at the time of writing. However, you can circumvent that by running Windows in a virtual machine on your Mac.
Your Windows PC must also have a 3.5 GHz Intel Core i3 or 3.8 GHz AMD A10 (or faster) processor and a soundcard. Additionally, it should have a minimum of 300 MB storage available and at least 1 GB RAM. These are minimum requirements and, as such, games streamed at the lowest specs probably won't perform amazingly well.
Minimum Streaming Requirements for PS Now
Aside from minimum PC requirements, PS Now has certain expectations regarding your internet connection, too.
First of all, you will need to ensure you have a stable broadband connection. This needs to be between a minimum of 5-12 Mbps download speed, with as low ping as possible.
You will also need a subscription to PlayStation Now and a PSN account to access and play all the games that PS Now has to offer. Once you know you meet all of these minimum requirements, you're ready to start playing!
What Controllers Can Be Used to Play PS Now?
In short, you're going to have to use a PlayStation controller to play games on PS Now. Unfortunately, the application doesn't support third-party joypads. So, that PC controller you have that looks vaguely like a PS controller won't work with PlayStation Now games.
You can use the PlayStation 4 DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controllers to play all of the games on PlayStation Now. The pad can be connected to the PC via Bluetooth or a wired micro-USB to USB-A connection.
In this case, be aware that the "Start" and "Select" controls have been remapped to the touchpad on your DUALSHOCK 4, with "Start" operated by pressing the right-hand side of the touchpad and "Select" with the left.
You can also use the DUALSHOCK 3 controllers, but these will only control the PlayStation 3 games you can access PlayStation Now. If you want to play PS4 games then, unfortunately, you need the PlayStation 4 controller.
Downloading and Installing PlayStation Now on Your PC
First of all, you will need to head to PlayStation's website and grab the .exe file to install the application. Once you are there, find the box that says "Download the PC app". Click that and the file will automatically start to download. Save this to your desktop for now.
Once the PS Now application finishes downloading head to the save location and double click the PS Now icon. This will launch the installer and, once complete, PS Now will be available via your Windows start menu and, if you chose to add a shortcut during installation, on your desktop, too.
Once installed, you're free to load up the application and start playing. Before play commences, though, you'll have to sign into PS Now using your PSN credentials. This way, PlayStation knows that it is you who is accessing the PlayStation Now subscription.
Once you have signed in, you can access all 800+ games available on PlayStation Now. More are added periodically, so you don't have to worry about running out of titles; there is plenty to choose from.
Using the Correct Settings for PlayStation Now on PC
With PS Now installed, you can now connect your PlayStation controller to the PC, either via the USB cable or Bluetooth. Once you have done this, you will need to use your mouse to switch into controller mode. You can see where this is located in the top right of the screenshot, above.
Once you have toggled this button, which has a monitor and joypad as its icon, you will find that the DUALSHOCK 4 (or 3, depending on which one you are using) controller works exactly the same way as it would on a PlayStation 4. You can use it to cycle through the games to locate your favorite title.
Another setting you should take note of is saving games. You can save games as you normally would within your PC version of PS Now. However, there is also an option to share saves between the PC and the PlayStation (if you have one). You do this by saving to the PlayStation Now Cloud.
This is an excellent feature as it means you can pick up where you left off, from any game, on either platform. If someone else is taking command of the TV to which your PS4 is connected, you have no need to worry—just head to your PC and fire the game up from your most recent save.
You can find out how to transfer your save files between the two platforms on the official PlayStation site.
Accessing Your Games on PS Now
Unfortunately, one major drawback of PlayStation Now on PC is the lack of a search function. You only have one screen through which to find the title you want. At the top of the screen are several categories of games, including any you have added to your list.
If you scroll down the page, you will find that all the games are arranged alphabetically, separated by each letter. You scroll left and right to find, for example, all the titles that begin with the letter 'A'. This means you need to cycle through them all to find the game you want, which can be a bit annoying if you're just cruising for something to play.
You don't have options to search for games by genre or theme, as you do with the PS4 version of PlayStation Now. You can't even see all of the games on one screen, ordered from A-Z, which is an option with the PS4 version.
There are over 800 games at your disposal, so knowing what you want to play before you start looking is a help. However, you can still happen across some real gems if you cycle through the games without deciding what you want to play first. It is just easier and more convenient on a PS4.
How to Access and Use PS Now on Your PC
Hopefully, you are now fully clued-up on how you can get PS Now on your PC. It is a great service and works really well on a mid-range PC. Games run smoothly and you can always flit between the PS4 and the PC for PlayStation Now gaming sessions.
If you don't own a PlayStation, or would like to play games from a different platform, then you might want to check out some of the best cloud gaming services, so you can stream from a wide variety of different platforms.
