PS4 streaming service will reportedly launch late 2014

"Trusted sources" have told Eurogamer that game streaming on PlayStation 4 powered by Gaikai will launch in Q3 2014, with a European launch slated for sometime in 2015. Developers have already been briefed on Gaikai, the report claims, and some have been asked to participate in a beta for the cloud service said to begin in 2014.

Sony has confirmed only that Gaikai will launch for PS4 sometime during 2014 in North America. The service will roll out first on PS4, before coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita later. Sony has remained largely quiet on what users can expect from the service, saying only that it will allow players immediate access to a catalog of "critically acclaimed" titles.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House reaffirmed that Gaikai is on track to launch in North America in 2014. "That remains the plan and we're very much on track to reach that," he said.

House explained that while the plan for Gaikai is first to get the technology up and running on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, the "endgame" is to have the service available on a "multitude of network-connected devices," including those not naturally capable of doing that.

"We think there's a great opportunity to broaden the market, because you essentially remove the need to make the console purchase in order to have access to that experience," House said. "It may sound counter-intuitive, because, aren't you replacing a business that is your bread and butter? But part of being an innovative company is being a pioneer in new forms of distribution of content, and we would like to be there first and take a leadership role."

Sony acquired Gaikai in summer 2012 for $380 million.

Microsoft has also suggested backwards compatibility though streaming could be on the way for the Xbox One. Director of product planning Albert Penello said in September that the Xbox One's cloud servers could be used to stream full games.

"It could be more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box," he said at the time. "We just have to figure out how, over time, how much does that cost to deliver, how good is the experience."