PS4 Digital Library Sharing Gives You Access From Any Console

Since the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are almost identical as far as performance specifications go, it's merely just a war between features and functionality. Both sides are trying to win over the hearts of gamers with innovation new features that aim to change the landscape of gaming. Sony thinks they have a pretty unique solution in the bag.

The company's R&D senior team boss Neil Brown announced at Sony's Develop Conference that PS4 gamers can access their purchased games on any PS4 console. Brown also touted the new "play as you download" feature, where you can play games as they're downloading them to the console.

Essentially, gamers can log in to their accounts from any PS4 console, and they can start playing the first bits of any digitally-purchased game that's available in their library, even if it's not from their own console at home. If your friend doesn't have a specific game that you want to play, the "play as you download" feature is about as good as it gets.

The background downloading while gamers begin playing their games is made possible simply by background processes. Brown says it's a similar method to what Blu-ray players use, and chunks of the game are copied automatically to the hard drive. After the first few minutes, the game is able to begin playing.

Xbox One has a similar feature where you can begin playing games while they download and install onto the console's hard drive. However, one huge benefit for the PS4 at this point is the low price tag. Sony's console will only cost $399 when it launches later this year, undercutting the Xbox One by $100.

SOURCE: Official PlayStation Magazine