How PlayStation 4′s cloud gaming could save Google TV

How PlayStation 4′s cloud gaming could save Google TV

Google TV needs a push in the gaming industry and I have always believed it will be cloud gaming. Not only is it the future of Google TV’s gaming capabilities, but also the future of gaming as a whole. Imagine playing the most demanding games on any device with fair specs and a good internet connection. In a way, this is where Sony seems to be headed with the PlayStation 4 and their implementation of recently-acquired Gaikai. And let me tell you, there is a possibility Sony could be streaming games to Google TV devices in the future.

“In a way”?

I say “in a way” because Sony seems to have backed out of the idea a bit. Even though we have the technology to do it (the PS Vita can even Stream PS4 games), Sony is not ready to bet all of its cash on this revolutionary concept. Instead, they are testing the waters with their cloud-based features.

The PlayStation 4 will be able to stream demos and more than likely older games (PS1, PS2 and PS3). One will also be able to play games while they are still being downloaded. Furthermore, PlayStation is taking advantage of cloud gaming technology to allow spectators to watch your gaming and even temporarily take control of the game from their own homes.

These and other related features are revolutionizing the way we look at gaming, but they are not revolutionizing gaming itself. The base idea is that the PS4 is still a powerful machine meant to run games mostly on its own. This would put Google TV streaming out of the question, right?

The future of PS4 and cloud gaming

Not necessarily! When Gaikai’s CEO stepped in stage he made many vague comments. These statements give us hints at what the future of Gaikai and PlayStation could be like, but without making promises. He states that they will more than likely offer older-generation games in the cloud, but they are looking to make these games “ubiquitous on any device.”

This means that they could possibly stream these games to smartphones, tablets, other consoles and… smart TVs. Of course, this is a risky business for the company. They want people to purchase both hardware and games from them. Giving away PS4 cloud gaming to other devices would mean Sony’s loss of some profit from its hardware sales.

This is why I would assume that if this move were to take place, Sony would keep exclusive rights to its services. In other words, PlayStation cloud-gaming will probably only come only to other Sony devices (if it does, indeed, make it out of Sony consoles).

Google TV’s gaming Sony Grail

Well, guess what, guys? Sony is a huge Google TV manufacturer. In fact, it is one of the very first Google TV manufacturers, and it continues to push the platform strong with its set-top boxes. If in the future Sony were to unlock the power of cloud gaming to other devices, you can be sure Sony Google TV devices will be included.

These Google TV boxes are essentially under-specced consoles, and OnLive has proven that it is possible to stream games to them. Of course, there are too many “ifs”, but we are really hoping for this to become possible at some point in the (hopefully near) future. Any PlayStation game available for streaming on Google TV? That, my friends, is huge.

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  • http://profiles.google.com/twospirits411 David Vega

    Excellent points.

    While I love my Sony Google TV, I do believe that these Google TV devices would be more widely accepted if it had

    1-All content providers on board and no restrictions to viewing their content.

    2-Add much better gaming capabilities.

    This is one of the reasons I was looking forward to the Sony Playstation 4 announcement. Hoping that someway, somehow, Sony would implement Google TV capability in it. With the Playstation 4 having such a capability, then there wouldn’t be no reason for any future Sony Google TV player to play PS4 games, especially if everything is in the cloud from what I gathered at the announcement.

    It would help both Sony and Google with placing more Google TV devices in consumer hands. Hopefully the hardware partners that gathered in Seoul Korea last week hash out the details of improving the next version of Google TV with such capabilities.

    TS

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