Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about Playstation Now in terms of what it offers, the prices seen during the beta, and if it’s “worth it.” The answer to that question is, it depends on the person. For me, it is, and it’s a pretty easy explanation as to why.

I never owned a Playstation console before the PS4.

That’s it. That’s the answer. While the service probably doesn’t make sense to those with a library of past Playstation games and own their old consoles, it makes sense for someone like me who missed out on the Uncharted series or some great PS2 classics. This is the perfect opportunity for me to play and enjoy games I didn’t get to before and for a reasonable price.

Speaking of price, here’s an idea of what people are seeing on Beta (and it varies per game).

Saints Row: 4 hours for $4.99 and 90 days for $29.99

Deus Ex: Human Revolution:  4 hours for $4.99, 7 days for $6.99, 30 days for $14.99, 90 days for $29.99.

This is where the problem lies. At least for right now, prices are a little, shall we say, askew.  A 4 hour rental should be no more than a dollar or so, or hell, even offer 2-3 hours for free so someone can try out the game and see if they want to continue. But $5 for 4 hours, in which no game can likely be beaten unless its a very small indie game, no thanks.

Now, the 7 day rental makes some sense in comparison to the few rental options out there currently. But when you start heading into $15+ dollars for games that can be bought for cheaper, I see the issue. In the cases of the games above, they are NOT Sony exclusives and therefore I can (and do) own the on other platforms, likely for much cheaper than a 90 day rental.

Playstation Now’s appeal comes from exclusives, I believe, and only for those who do not own past consoles and therefore cannot pick up an actual copy on Amazon for $15. It can have a much more widespread appeal if they do reevaluate their price points.

But, this is a beta. We can only hope that in being so, final prices will be different. I’d also love an option to just buy a game to download for $25 or $30 than just having the 90 day rental.

So, does Playstation Now need some fixes? Yes. Can Sony turn it into a worthwhile service? If they listen to feedback,  I think so. Will I end up renting Playstation exclusives on it, assuming the price seems justifiable to me? You betcha. Because in the end, it’s cheaper than buying myself an old PS3 and the games I missed.

What are your thoughts on Playstation Now? Will you use the service? Do you think Sony will change prices after listening to critics and users? Let me know!