A couple of days ago, a report showed that Microsoft tried to negotiate with Apple to release Xbox-exclusive games on the App Store. Now a new story reveals that the Redmond company wasn’t the only one trying to do so as Sony was also planning to bring PlayStation Now to mobile phones.
As reported by the Verge, a confidential document from the Epic v. Apple trial shows that Apple had insider knowledge of Sony’s plan to launch PlayStation Now cloud gaming service on iOS and Android devices.
This document is from 2017 and, at the time, PlayStation Now was available on the PS3, PS Vita, PlayStation TV, supported smart TVs, and Blu-ray players. Suddenly, Sony decided to discontinue the service on all of these platforms and start offering it only on PS4 and PC devices. “Coincidence?” The Verge wonders.
The publication also explains why Apple had this insider knowledge about Sony’s plans:
Why did Apple bring this up? It’s smack dab in the middle of an explanation of Apple’s plans to launch its own game subscription service, Apple Arcade, which wouldn’t be announced until two years later. At the time, Apple was preparing to target 30 top game studios and ask for as many as “a few hundred titles” to add.
Although Sony’s plan didn’t work out, the Japanese company is now rumored to have a Project Spartacus that would “bundle its cloud gaming service with a PlayStation Plus subscription, and it would bring original PS1 games and ‘eventually’ PS5 games to the service too.” It’s unclear whether Sony will bet on something similar to Microsoft’s xCloud.
Imagine being able to play some of the most beloved PlayStation games on your iPhone or iPad? Maybe in the future. What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comment section below.
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