No need for hard drives, PlayStation 3 to add cloud game saving

By Jeffrey Van Camp January 31, 2011

Memory cards are already a thing of the past, but soon you may not even need a hard drive to save your games. Sony is telling developers that the PlayStation 3 will soon be able to save games to the cloud, reports Kotaku. The new service means that PS3 users will be able to upload all their game data to remote servers, making it accessible on any PS3 they log into with the same PlayStation Network account.

sony-playstation-network-cloud — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unfortunately, the new service will only be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, Sony’s equivalent of Xbox Live premium accounts. Developers can also opt out of the new service, should they not want their games to allow cloud saving. Players can also opt out of the service, should they desire. The service will be called “Online Saving” and be included in Sony’s upcoming 3.60 firmware update.

The service takes Sony yet another step deeper into cloud computing. How long before the major console manufacturers begin backing up almost everything to the cloud? It may only be a matter of time before we see companies pop up to compete with OnLive, the only game streaming service currently on the market.

Still, the benefits are immense. Game consoles routinely crash, are broken, or are lost due to theft or natural disaster. Having a remote backup of all game saves means that more room is available on the PS3 to save other things and gamers can rest assure that their high score in Resistance can be stored forever.

The 3.60 firmware update should be available in the coming weeks.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Gaming

How to start the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4

People standing outside Nuka World.

The first major DLC expansion for Fallout 4 lets players go to the abandoned amusement park called Nuka-World. While there's plenty of fun and excitement to be had here, don't expect it to come from the roller coasters or carnival games since this park is the battleground between rival raider gangs. This new zone adds a ton of new quests and side activities to the base experience, but it isn't as simple to get to as a real theme park. Don't worry if your Pip-Boy isn't helping you get to Nuka-World -- we'll show you how to start this DLC.

Gaming

How to start the Automatron DLC in Fallout 4

A man and a robot walking in the wastelands in Fallout 4.

Each piece of Fallout 4 DLC adds something substantial to the base experience. In the case of the Automatron expansion, an entire new questline pitting you against a robot army led by a figure known as the Mechanist. Starting it isn't as difficult as starting other DLCs like the Nuka-World expansion, but it-s still a bit cryptic. Buying the DLC doesn't automatically make it apparent how to actually start this new adventure, but we'll give you specific directions to find it in the wasteland.

Gaming

One of 2023’s best indie games is getting a movie starring LaKeith Stanfield

James descends on an elevator in El Paso, Elsewhere.

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of Digital Trends' favorite indie games of 2023, now has a film adaptation in the works.

Variety reports that LaKeith Stanfield -- an actor known for his work in films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Knives Out, and Haunted Mansion, as well as TV shows like Atlanta -- is going to star in and produce the film. The adaptation is in the works at Di Bonaventure Pictures, the production company behind the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Meg film franchises. Little else is known about the film at this time, although we'd presume it will be a fairly direct adaptation of this intense story-driven game.