PlayStation Now Beta Prices: $5 for Four Hours of Final Fantasy XIII-2

Sony recently revealed that it would be using the PlayStation Now beta to test different pricing models for the game streaming service. The company said there will be shorter rentals priced as low as $3, and longer-term ones that will generally fall between $3-$20.

Players participating in the beta can now see the preliminary prices and rental periods, which are probably less of a bargain than you’d expect. For example, it costs $5 to rent Final Fantasy XIII-2 for four hours, $8 for seven days, $15 for 30 days, and $30 for 90 days. In case you’re wondering, you can buy the full, physical copy of the game from Amazon for less than $18.

The indie platformer Guacamelee! is slightly cheaper at $3 for four hours, $6 for seven days, $8 for 30 days, and $15 for 90 days. The full version of Guacamelee! is currently $15 on the PlayStation Store.

Though it’s just a beta test, participants do have to pay these prices to stream the games.

Those prices are a little outrageous, but keep in mind that Sony is also likely to offer PlayStation Now as a subscription service, which might come at a more reasonable price. Sony also made clear that "as with all content published on PlayStation platforms, publishers and developers will ultimately decide their game price points," so the current prices could also change.

During its E3 2014 press conference, Sony announced that Now will progress into open beta on July 31 on PS4, and that a number of new games will be available. God of War: Ascension and Dead Space 3 are among over 100 games that you will be able to stream via PlayStation Now. Open betas for PS3, Vita, and Sony TVs will come later.