Sony shifts to pricey game rentals in UK PlayStation Now beta

Sony kicked off closed beta testing of its PlayStation Now game streaming service in the UK a couple of months ago, and now it's time to talk turkey. Beta participants previously had unrestricted access to the PS Now streaming catalogue, but Sony's just started experimenting with rental pricing. A full-fat PS3 title now costs £5 to rent for two days, or £10 if you want to stretch that to a 30-day term; PS3-era PlayStation Network games are slightly cheaper at £3 and £8 for two- and 30-day rental periods, respectively. Bear in mind, PS Now is still in the early stages of beta testing in the UK, and Sony's made it clear that it'll be playing around with "different rental options at different price points."

This means Sony can alter rental terms and their prices as much as it likes to get a feel for what works best. That said, these initial offerings give us at least a vague indication of what Sony would like us to pay for the convenience of on-demand gaming. Across the pond, where PS Now is fully launched, game rentals can last anywhere from four hours to 90 days, so you can expect more timespans to come to the UK beta in due course. In the US, you can also pay $20 per month (roughly £13) for unlimited access to the full PS Now library, and it'll be interesting to see what Sony thinks us Brits are willing to shell out for the same privilege.