The new online storage feature allows gamers to store up to 150MB of game save data and a maximum of 1000 data files per PSN account. Users also have the ability to back-up “copy-prohibited save data,” and all previously saved data may be restored once per 24 hour period. When the new feature launches, most PS3 titles will be compatible with online storage for game saves, and moving forward, all new titles will have the capability to offer the storage option.
Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of games on friends’ consoles. Naturally, I want to keep my game saves and earn trophies/achievements, so I’ve been lugging around a USB stick with game saves. It’s a big pain the ass to copy files back and forth every time I do this. When I saw the headline that Sony was moving game saves to the cloud, I almost peed myself with anticipation
Bringing game saves to the cloud is an amazing feature and I’m surprised Sony beat Microsoft to the punch on it, given all of Microsoft’s “To the Cloud!” commercials. Nevertheless, I imagine it’s only a matter of time before both all consoles offer up this feature. (Well, maybe not Nintendo given their lack of interest in creating a decent online experience for their users.)
That being said, it still sucks that the only way you can get this feature on the PlayStation Network is by being a PlayStation Plus subscriber. Even with the feature, that service is still massively overpriced at $49.99 for what amounts to 1 week early access to demos and access to 1 hour trial games of old full-version titles.
Also, what’s with the limitations on the “online storage feature,” Sony? 150MB? Every free webmail account gives at least 2GB of space. Most game saves are tiny, usually under 1MB. Why not just advertise a boatload of space, knowing that it would be insanely difficult for most people to use it all? Plus, the caveat that the saved data may only be restored once every 24 hours really gives off the impression that Sony is unnecessarily stingy with its bandwidth. What’s the point of the cloud if you can only access it once every day?
The final wrinkle is that “most” PS3 titles will be compatible with online storage at launch. “Most?” Sooo are you going to tell us which games don’t work with this feature, Sony? It would be some poop on a magical moment if I ponied up $50 a year to be able to access my game saves “anywhere” only to find out that my favorite games don’t work with it.
Sony gets points for being the first major console manufacturer to take game saving to the cloud. Unfortunately, they also get a few demerits for being stingy on execution and tying it to their overpriced PlayStation Plus service. Either give us a boatload more space and unlimited access to our game saves, or don’t charge for it.
Read More: Online Storage for Game Saves Coming to PlayStation Plus – PlayStation Blog.