Sony's game recording, streaming and sharing service on the PlayStation 4 will be free for anyone to use, as the company confirmed that the feature is available regardless of whether you've purchased a PlayStation Plus subscription. This contrasts to recent revelations that the Xbox One's Game DVR feature, which is similar to Sony's feature on the PlayStation 4, is only available for those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was asked by fans on Twitter if the game recording feature on the PS4 would require a PlayStation Plus subscription, to which he simply stated "no". Later he elaborated that the functionality would be available for "all" users, similar to media streaming features on the console.
The PlayStation 4's game recording feature will allow anyone to capture up to 15 minutes of footage - longer than the Xbox One's five minute limitation - which can then be shared with others. The console also comes with a feature where users can share their gameplay stream with a friend, and when things become tough the friend can take control to give assistance.
While many of the PlayStation 4's features will be free to use without a PlayStation Plus subscription, for the first time in PlayStation history the console will require you to pay for online multiplayer. Microsoft has required users have an Xbox Live Gold subcription for online multiplayer since the Xbox 360 was launched, while the PlayStation 3's multiplayer was free. Now Sony is set to charge for the feature too.
Despite the various differences between the two upcoming consoles, people are flocking to pre-order them at retailers so they can be guaranteed one for the holiday season. Many places have already sold out of day-one units, so come launch day finding an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 on the shelves might be a hard task.