So this past generation, I never bought a PS3, despite the fact that the thing is flooded with all sorts of games I want, and more on the way. I just didn't have the money, and as the next gen approached, I hoped that PS4 would be backwards compatible. It wasn't, and I was crushed by the news. Playstation Now brought my spirits up with news that I could soon play not only PS3, but PS1 and PS2 games as well, and I missed a LOT of PS1 games. No doubt about it, I'm going to get Playstation Now at some point. Thing is, there's little doubt that at least some titles I'll be interested in, especially things like Person 5 which have yet to release, will not be on Playstation Now, at least for a good while. I mean if Nintendo's Virtual Console is anything to go by, worst case scenario I could be waiting years to get certain games, though I doubt it'll be that bad. Still, if my gaming tastes don't match what Sony thinks will be most popular, I could be waiting a while.

So my question to you guys is, if I get Playstation Now, is it still worth getting getting a PS3? Come to think of it, is it even worth getting a PS4? Perhaps I should just use a Bravia TV and DS3 controller? I'd only need the controller then, but the TV is my parents, so I wouldn't have free use of it. Still, it'd be cheaper, and there isn't really anything on PS4 I want yet. I've still got another semester of college to pay for, so my budget is tight. If money wasn't an issue I'd just go out and get a PS3 and PS4 just to say I have them. Or here's a thought, isn't the Vita also compatible with PS Now? I could get one of those; I don't think Vita or PSP games are going to be on PS Now, are they? That'd be a whole new library of games there too. What do you think would be the best value for me, if PS Now is a given?

Edit: Alright, fuck it, sounds like the general concensus is that PS Now isn't worth it, while PS3 is. I'll admit, PS3 is definitely an awesome console, I was just afraid that if I got one that between the PS4 I'll eventually get and PS Now the PS3 would quickly become obsolete. Sounds like I needn't worry about that. So my new question to you guys, and this will betray my ignorance of PSN, but I have to ask, how is the selection of PS1 games on PSN? There's a ton of PS1 RPGs I want to play. I have FFVII and VIII, but my PS2 is picky about which PS1 games it will run and won't play them. I've never played Wild Arms, Grandia, FF Tactics, The Legend of Dragoon, and most importantly, Chrono Cross. Then there's plenty of other stuff from PS1 I missed. I've played Crash, Spyro, and Ape Escape, but that's about it. There's a handful of PS2 exclusives I missed as well, but as I actually had a PS2, I played most of what I'm interested in from there, and could probably find the rest used online.

nobody can give you an honest answer about this because PS Now isnt released yet. its still in beta from what i remember. thing is, nobody can honestly give you a good answer right now. but thing is to wait and see .

Too early to say since we don't know what the lineup will be or how fast Sony will release games. I'd wait.

I will say based on the pricing of PSNow, get a PS3.

Honestly, I think ps3 is a far better choice... Like, lets say that they fix the pricing issue, the next issue will depend on ur internet speed, whether or not u are using wifi or ethernet and your isp... Now, if you look at the 1000s of articles out there about Netflix vs isps... It will pretty much give u the result where isps don't like streaming unless you are paying a shit load of money for ur internet otherwize your streaming quality will be 480p or lower on netflix. Now, this doesn't happen everywhere but the fact that this is becoming a large issue is a problem for services like PSnow that rely on data transfer...

Like, its not about whether or not you have a 5mbps or 25 mbps, its about how much data you are transfering that the isps hate and if the isps throttle which most of them are doing, specially in the states or if your isp has a datacap (like in Canada), well, you will get a subpar experience which is worse when it comes to gaming than netflix cause gaming requires interaction. So imo, its not going to even be close to the same experience as a ps3 cause on a ps3, you will get consistent experience throughout the game vs psnow, your experience will vary depending on a ton of factors that include many that are out of both Sony's and the consumer's hands

And on top of that, we dont know how many of the games are even going to be avaliable for streaming.

But we will see

This, the rental prices are ridiculous, but if you purchase a PS3, you can get a lot of great games for cheap.  Pay maybe the same price or twice as much as a week rental for games you can keep plus the price of the system.

If you purchase a controller new, that'll also cost you $50 new.  The consoles come with a controller, so you also remove the cost of the controller from the PS3 purchase when you weigh your options.  Another thing to remember is  that the PS3 also doubles as a bluray player and media player, so that's always a nice bonus.

From what I'd read, you have two options, either pay one subscription price for unlimited access to all games on the service whenever you want, or pay a price per game. I'd probably go with the former, so long as it's not too crazy expensive. Or are they no longer planning that option? I might have to change my mind about it then...

Depends on your appetite for games. If you don't already have PS3, than your appetite probably isn't sufficient.

You should really look into getting a ps3 at some point, awesome console. There are a lot of games you can get with ps+ on ps3 and a huge library to look through on psn if you don't mind buying digital copies. I would say now is the perfect time to start going to gamestops and looking through their bargain bins, you will find all sorts of good games for cheap for ps3.

There's only one question:
Do you have the budget and the space to have both a PS3 and a PS4?

If Yes, then go for a PS3 because PSNow will probably take some times to take off, offers and prices don't seem to be good, and we don't know how many games will be available.

If not, then you can for a PS4 but you won't have many game, and you should expect to be able to play PS3 until a year or two, IF the service does work.