Microsoft and Sony’s Partnership Is Evidence That Streaming Is the Future

Update (May 22): It has come to our attention that Sony and Microsoft have not yet entered an official partnership, but instead, are exploring the idea of a future partnership between the two companies. As of right now, nothing is in place.

Yesterday, Microsoft announced that they are partnering up with Sony to collaborate on new cloud-based solutions for gaming experiences. The two companies will be using Microsoft’s Azure Cloud architecture to help improve entertainment experiences for PlayStation and Xbox fans.

I’m not sure if Microsoft went to Sony to help with their streaming or if Sony sought help from their competitor, but either way, Microsoft will be implementing their Azure technology to aid Sony in the upcoming “streaming battle.”

Now that Sony will be switching up their streaming –hopefully for the better–, this means a lot for the future of PlayStation Now and for Sony’s next console.

Streaming services like Google Stadia are sure to be part of the competition in the streaming game, and if the streaming service works exactly like how Google said it would work, Microsoft and Sony working together is the perfect way for the two companies to stay on top of their game and fend off Google.

I thought about why Sony would go to Microsoft for help in this field over other companies like Google, but it’s obvious why. Microsoft is at the top of their game right now when it comes to pure power and catering towards Xbox and PC players.

The Xbox consoles are stronger than PlayStation’s, the Game Pass service is amazing, and the backward compatibility functionality is a huge reason to be an Xbox owner.

Microsoft might not be killing it when it comes to first-party exclusives, but, as a company, everything else they do continues to surprise and amaze us.

Sony wants in on the future of streaming and if you ask me, they definitely need the help, and what better company to help them out, than Microsoft themselves?

Just speaking on the current state of Sony’s streaming platform at the moment, it can use an upgrade or more like a complete overhaul.

If you’ve ever attempted to stream games using PlayStation Now, then you must be aware that most, if not all, games fail to run perfectly smooth.

Thankfully, you can download a selection of PS4 and PS2 titles to your console, playing them without an internet connection.

However, the latency issues are present whenever you stream games and if your internet isn’t insanely fast, then good luck playing any title that requires twitch-based movements. But thanks to the partnership, Sony’s streaming will get a lot better.

According to the news post published by Microsoft, “the two companies [Sony and Microsoft] will explore joint development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services.

“In addition, the two companies will explore the use of current Microsoft Azure datacenter-based solutions for Sony’s game and content-streaming services.”

Sony getting help with their streaming capabilities from Microsoft is a great decision and allows PlayStation to keep making top-tier exclusive titles, while Microsoft collects their piece of the money pie.

In the news post concerning the collaboration, no words were said about if Sony is paying Microsoft, but I would bet everything to say that Sony is paying a crap ton of money for all of this to happen.

Microsoft is dangling a carrot right in front of Sony, and they need that carrot if they plan to succeed in the next console generation.

While we’re not entirely sure on how much of a cut Microsoft will be getting, giving Sony access to the Azure tech will be monumental for the future of PlayStation, and if this collaboration helps upgrade development platforms for content creators, it’s a win-win situation.

Microsoft knows that Sony is on their game when it comes to the development of high-quality AAA exclusives like God of War and Spider-Man, and now, they can help Sony create even better experiences and make a profit off of their success.

This allows for both companies to improve while keeping the competition friendly between both parties.

Based on Microsoft’s long-standing history with software, hardware, and being a gaming platform for almost 40 years now, there’s no doubt that they know what they’re doing here.

By bringing datacenters to multiple countries and locations around the world, Microsoft is determined to make Azure work flawlessly, promising a great gaming experience for all players, regardless of where they are playing video games.

Microsoft bringing this over into Sony’s wheelhouse is extremely exciting and just goes to show that streaming is the future; it’s simply a matter of when and not if.

This partnership confirms that both Sony and Microsoft are definitely looking into making streaming a viable option for those who prefer playing video games on mobile devices and on PCs.

Sony recently announced during a financial conference call that PlayStation Now has reached over 700,00 subscribers, with the service having an average annual increase of over 40% when it comes to paying subscribers.

The service is slowly gaining momentum, most likely due to players now being able to download old PS4 and PS2 titles directly to the console, making gameplay sessions much smoother than streaming.

There still isn’t an option to do this with PS3 titles but if Sony is working towards making streaming much more reliable and viable in this industry, then I expect for this service to become on par with Microsoft’s upcoming xCloud.

If the same infrastructure is used for both companies, there should be no reason for Sony to lack in this department, especially by the time the ‘PS5‘ launches.

It’s interesting nonetheless to see these two companies coming together to combat other streaming competitors like Stadia.

Sony is taking the necessary steps to secure their spot in the next-gen race, and this partnership shows consumers that they are very serious about making streaming a big part of their future.

I commend Sony for putting aside their differences and knocking on Microsoft’s door for some help. Streaming is coming and if you’re not ready for it, then be prepared because it looks like Sony is not playing around.