Sony Senior VP of Platform Experience talks bringing Cloud Gaming to PS Portal

In this lengthy interview with AV Watch, Sony Senior VP of Platform Experience Hideaki Nishino talks about the effects of the COVID Pandemic on PS5 distribution goals.
He gives insight into their current year end goal.
He explains how a weak Japanese Yen is impacting console pricing in Japan.
He also explains that shrinking the semi conductor did not reduce costs.
He talks in detail about the new line of headsets.

He explains why cloud streaming is currently locked to PS5 for now and that discussions and verifications are taking place to ensure that cloud gaming is properly introduced on the Portal. He explains that Remote Play is the first step to acclimating users to gaming over Networks. Another important factor seems to be wanting to ensure to Developers can provide the experience they expect and that consumers can get reliable experiences. Remote Play/Cloud gaming threaten to create a fracture in reliability and expectations. This must be taken seriously.

Additional, Hideaki reveals that the Portal was not designed with profitability in mind. It was designed to increase engagement on the PlayStation platform.

[Eonjay]

Its basically confirmed to be coming. I do appreciate them not rushing it out. Considering how much they improved cloud streaming on PS5 itself, I hope they can achieve similar results on the Portal.

[Ozzy2407]

Yeah not having cloud streaming on Portal was the main reason i did not purchase it. Once the streaming is added its time to buy

[Eonjay]

Hideaki reasons that in order for this to work, consumers must be introduced to the services in a way that doesn't create confusion. He seems worried that if this doesn't work seamlessly that consumers will never want to try it again. So, his approach is very methodical and measured. He explains that there is no technological barrier to delivering cloud to Portal because like Remote Play as they both involve pointing to a specific server. If more of a matter of educating users on how to game over networks.

I was thinking that they didn't do it because they were worried about making the PS5 hardware obsolete but it seems like they care more about engagement. If they can get people to consumer content over the cloud they are all for it... but it has to work well and consumers have to understand the importance of solid network connections to use a product like this.

He didn't go into details about what verification involves or how that would work when streaming from the cloud to Portal.

[Cacabunga]

This would be a groundbreaking feature if true.. day one buy when this becomes official, not for home only use

[StormSnooper]

@cacabunga
Its already something you can use elsewhere. You dont have to use it at home, you can play it from anywhere you have internet.

[darthv72]

Figured it was just something that would eventually happen. So far this thing is cool. Was playing some stuff last night and it was way better than my phone or vita ever were.

[Eonjay]

What did you play if you don't mind me asking?

[darthv72]

I played some spider-man remastered, ghost of tsushima and the konami arcade collection and contra collection. I have so many games I started but never finished that i am hoping this will light that spark to get me to finish them.

Tonight I'm going to dive back in to GoW Ragnarok. Have to say it holds 60fps pretty well. A few dips here and there but otherwise it does really good.

[kayoss]

@Eonjay
I received mine yesterday and i was able to play Final Fantasy 7 remake and Destiny 2 on it. It worked great for both games. Playing shooters still feels different but its 10x better than on the Vita or using your phone with the backbone attachment.

[derek]

@darth, it's good? I have mine just haven't set it up yet, can't wait.

[Eonjay]

@darth

Thats awesome. I'm jealous because mine is delayed till Saturday 😢

@kayoss

Destiny didn't give you a bad delay?

[Cacabunga]

See you just made me think of Matterfall.. I always start stop and I think a handheld would make me dive into it.
Did you have wired internet connection on ps5? How far were you from it with the Portal?

[ModsDoBetter]

"discussions and verifications are taking place to ensure that cloud gaming is properly introduced on the Portal."

Excellent news.

[thecodingart]

Ug, this again..

[Mr_cheese]

Got to be honest, I wasn't expecting the portal to be getting updates with things like cloud. I assumed that it was what it was and that any enhancement would be on a future model

[Vits]

Already been confirmed that it runs a custom version of Android 13 and uses the Snapdragon 662. So the only reason for it to not have Playstation Cloud streaming is if Sony just doesn't bother to allow it. Even Gamepass Cloud and GeForce NOW should be usable if Sony had not blocked the browser access.

[Eonjay]

I mean clearly its not because the just don't 'bother to allow it'. He explains in the article and as pointed out in the description what they are actually doing to get cloud on Portal and why it isn't there yet. Clearly Sony blocked Gamepass and Geforce Now. But thats more complicated because if you release a game on the PS platform and then someone can play it using another platform then you aren't gonna be compensated per your agreement with the PS platform holder. By the same token, Sony probably doesn't want to compensate a publisher for running a game on their platform that they are not being compensated for. But yes without a doubt the block comes from Sony itself.

[Vits]

@Eonjay

If you're falling for the PR talk that doesn't really amount to anything, be my guest. Sony's all set with the blades and server setup for streaming. They've put in the technical effort already so now the only thing keeping it from happening on the Portal is, well, Sony. To be more specific, it's their desire to rake in the cash. Why offer people the option to play games with a $200 device and a subscription fee for streaming when they can make a killing by selling a $200 client, a $400 processor box, and the software separately?

As for blocking Gamepass and Geforce Now. There is nothing complicated about it. An artificial block on the browser application, nothing that Sony hasn't done before. Sure, here it's even shittier because it's entry-level hardware that runs nothing natively and it's even running Android already. But the main idea behind it is the same, you are not the owner of the hardware.

[Eonjay]

A few things. First Sony stated that they aren't making any money on the Portal and that profitability is not the goal. Their goal is engagement. You are correct about the tech being there already. They make a point to explain that the reason for not deploying it now is because they need to do more testing before its ready. They are worried that if it doesn't perform well enough, people aren't going to want to use it. And they want people to stream. Why? Simple, streaming is part of their Premium tier Plus membership.

So it is in their best interest to get streaming running good on Portal so that someone who buys a Portal can go straight to Premium without even owing a PS5. The money they make by getting you onto Premium is more than make from selling a PS5.

There is no logical reason in not launching it unless they are being honest when they say they want to keep testing it first.

[Vits]

@Eonjay

"First Sony stated that they aren't making any money on the Portal and that profitability is not the goal. Their goal is engagement. "

Oh, I believe that their goal is engagement or some sort of other PR bullshit term. Because no way in hell that this piece of e-waste will sell enough units to generate a good profit. That said, it doesn't mean that they don't have a margin and if they don't, their R&D team is taking them for a ride cause a 2020 mid-range SoC without the modem paired with an IPS 60hz display should cost peanuts.

"They make a point to explain that the reason for not deploying it now is because they need to do more testing before its ready. They are worried that if it doesn't perform well enough, people aren't going to want to use it. And they want people to stream. Why? Simple, streaming is part of their Premium tier Plus membership."

That is where you are wrong. They don't want you to stream. Why would they ever want you to do so when they went time and time again talking about software sales? Makes absolutely no sense with their current strategy.

"So it is in their best interest to get streaming running good on Portal so that someone who buys a Portal can go straight to Premium without even owing a PS5. The money they make by getting you onto Premium is more than make from selling a PS5."

It's not. Why would they want you to pay for the device and then some subscription? If they can can you pay for the device, some subscription, the PS5 and all the software that you will buy for the latter?

"There is no logical reason in not launching it unless they are being honest when they say they want to keep testing it first."

Again if you want to believe in PR bullshit, be my guess. Sony has always been the master of it.

[derek]

@Vits, what are you not understanding? It's not pr spin, Sony rep says that it is Sony blocking further use until they are ready to provide a seamless streaming experience from the cloud. You seem to have some weird rage towards this device. Lol

[Eonjay]

LOL Calm down there.

Keep in mind Sony is a corporation and corporations are designed to generate growth so you should always be careful with anything they say but we can also use what we know about their goals to figure out whats going on.

You said they don't want you to stream. They do. Thats why they just went out and spent money on iSize. The goal is to linked to Premium Plus. They want to make their streaming platform as flexible as possible so people will upgrade for the ease of access to their own catalog. The Portal is an ALL STEAMING DEVICE. They want you to stream. First, its CHEAPER for them to make a Portal than a PS5. Their plan is to sell as many Portals as they can, then put streaming on there which will prompt people who don't have Premium to upgrade/buy. People will love it because you get access to the games in Plus... AND games you purchased. Meaning you have immediate access to all your stuff with no need to worry about storage and all your saves sync. This will boost the Portal substantially.

Yes of course they want you to still get a PS5, and its still gonna be the place to play the games with the least lag so you should want to get one too. Also, they haven't converted all the purchased games into streamable ones yet. If you read the interview, you will see that reducing the cost of console production has become difficult because they are having issues with semiconductor cost. That means that they aren't making that much money off of them. Why is this important? Because if you get a portal and they have cloud streaming to it, even though they aren't making money off the portal, the likelihood of you getting Premium is higher than if you own a PS5 alone. Its all about subscriptions. How can they get the most people to adopt the highest tier.

Because they have tied the Premium to streaming they feel obligated, as they should, to make sure it works really well. I don't know if you have tried the new streaming on PS5, but it is really really good. Probably the best out there by far. They go all the way up to 4K 60 fps (although to go that high they recommend a like 50mbps) and you can barely feel lag. When it comes to Portal its gonna blow everything away. On a good outside network, its gonna be better than Remote Play-promise.

So its not PR BS and you know this because they are betting on streaming to boost Premium which will boost their pockets. Its all about money and the fastest way for them to make money is to convert as many people as possible to Premium. Its like $180 a year.

[Vits]

Every day I get increasingly impressed by the amount of sheep in this place. Like, can't you guys think for yourself for like 5 minutes? Or eating up any shit that these manufacturers spin is the only thing you are capable of?

And don't even try to hide that it is a brainless fanboy. "Blow everything out of the water", sure buddy, I'm sure your daddy Sony is really proud of your free marketing.

[GoodGuy09]

Not sure why that wasn't a thing at launch lol.

[derek]

But they just told you why, didn't you read the article? Lol

[RNTody]

I'd like it if you brought the Portal to South Africa so that I can buy it immediately :(

This is great news though and exactly what the Portal will need to give it longevity and value.

[Calvaro]

I expect PS+ Streaming and Sony' Pictures Core to be added soon.

[Petebloodyonion]

I do recall all the downvotes and naysayers telling me that this wasn't a Cloud gaming console when I mentioned that this was Sony's way to introduce us to a cloud-only future and trying to hide this notion with the concept of "a remote play option"

Well here's from the horse's mouth:
"He explains why cloud streaming is currently locked to PS5 for now and that discussions and verifications are taking place to ensure that cloud gaming is properly introduced on the Portal. He explains that Remote Play is the first step to acclimating users to gaming over Networks."

Again I'll say it again, the goal of the portal is not to create options for the future but simply to see on a small scale how ppl react to
1) Cloud gaming solutions in order to prepare for a cloud-only Playstation device
2 ) How ppl respond to this solution over the Backbone with the goal of removing the ability to play over other mobile devices (backbone).

[darthv72]

I know alot of people shit on Stadia but honestly it was a solid idea. Google certainly had the back end to support it but they didnt have the foundation on which to build. They were coming in hard and fast into cloud unlike how MS and Sony are doing it. Taking an already established base and 'easing' them into it. Then when the cut over happens... nobody will even bat an eye.

After the first night with the Portal, i have convinced myself to get the Logitech G Cloud. unless something better comes along, that will offer me remote play for XB, PS, and PC as well as cloud streaming and other games available through the play store.

[RAFTECH26]

Play the final fantasy rhythm game on this….. you can’t even finish playing a session….

It shows that the lag input is in full effect.

FAIL

[MatrixxGT]

I have never had a good experience with cloud gaming…ever. The artifacting and constantly changing resolution along with stutters ruins immersion and I just give it up.
Maybe in major cities with stupid fast internet it may work for some people but in my area this is just not worth the effort.

[Johnh5223]

The lag with cloud gaming is abysmal. But people forget sony is working with microsoft on azure cloud technology.

[gold_drake]

would be great if thats coming, that would make it even more desirable than it already is.

[Pyrofire95]

Vita means Life T^T