PlayStation exclusive The Last of Us Part II and Fallout 76 are headlining PlayStation Now’s October games lineup. The month's new offerings further expand PS Now's library of content, adding more value to the subscription service than in previous months. In September, PS Now added Tekken 7, Killing Floor 2, and Pathfinder: Kingmaker among others. Those additions added a mix of different experiences, from AAA games to indie titles, and the lineup was praised for offering a diverse roster with the potential to woo a large audience towards Sony’s streaming service. However, this month’s lineup is much larger in terms of the gravity of its individual games.
The move to add The Last of Us 2 and Fallout 76 is likely part of Sony’s push to reach one billion subscribers on its cloud streaming service. After evolving beyond its traditional cloud-based system into something more reflective of the market - currently driven by services like Xbox Game Pass - PS Now's monthly additions have quickly been increasing in value. Adding a few games each month like Microsoft does for its subscription service was one part of the plan, and more is to come for PlayStation Now. In May, it was revealed that Sony’s plan was to garner one billion PS Now subscribers by investing in both first-party and external studios to improve PS Now’s library, and with October’s lineup, it’s doing just that.
In a PlayStation Blog announcement, it was revealed PS Now is adding The Last of Us Part II, Fallout 76, and Desperados III. It was also announced Amnesia: Collection, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, Yet Another Zombie Defense, and Victor Vran: Overkill Edition would also be joining the fray. The seven titles will become available to PS Now subscribers on Tuesday, October 5.
The PS Now library is considerably growing with October's new inclusions, making it clear first-party PlayStation titles and major third-party AAA games aren't off the table. The Last of Us 2's emotional story was a critical and commercial success for Sony, so adding it to PS Now seems like an intelligent use of first-party titles. It was further revealed PlayStation 5 players will be able to download the game’s PS5 performance patch, improving the quality of the game for the new-gen console. The Last of Us 2 is a timed PS Now release, with the game set to depart the subscription service on January 3, 2022.
Since the October lineup also included Fallout 76, it appears Sony is not done partnering with Bethesda despite the studio's acquisition by Xbox. While this doesn’t necessarily mean future Bethesda games will appear on PlayStation consoles, it possibly shows Sony is willing to make deals with its direct competitor to improve PS Now. The other games in the lineup are also welcome additions, meaning PS Now subscribers now have to make the difficult decision of what to play first.
Source: PlayStation Blog
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October 05, 2021 at 12:28AM
