PlayStation 4 Will Use Gaikai To Stream PS3 Games

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony's soon-to-be-announced PlayStation 4 will let gamers play PlayStation 3 games via Gaikai, which it acquired in 2012 for $380 million. The streaming technology will reportedly be detailed on Wednesday during the press event. This information comes from unnamed sources who are said to be familiar with what Sony is up to.

Although the PS4 will still play disc-basd games as well, according to the sources, the cloud-based game streaming will be the console's biggest feature. Assuming this turns out to be true, there are both pros and cons to feature. On one hand, cloud-based games can be accessed anywhere without the hassle of toting around discs. Conversely, take a look at all the current PS3 games you have your shelf – do you really want to re-purchase all those as digital copies in order to play them on the next console?

That assumes, of course, that some type of discount or other service won't be provided that reduces the cost of the titles or otherwise minimizes the financial burden. No information on what the digital games will be priced at was revealed, nor any details about how, precisely, Sony will go about having users stream PS3 games.

In addition to the cloud-based game streaming, the sources also said that we might see improved cameras with Move. The PlayStation event is set to take place in New York on Wednesday, so be sure to stay tuned for the latest information that surfaces. As with all info that comes from unnamed sources, take it in stride until Sony releases the final word on the matter.

[via Wall Street Journal]