Antstream Arcade Arrives on PlayStation Consoles
Antstream Arcade has officially launched on PlayStation consoles. Antstream Arcade is a cloud gaming service that provides gamers with instant access to a library of over 1300 retro games. Our review will cover the PS5 version of Antstream Arcade.
A Retro World Within Your Console
Simply put, if you are a fan of retro video games and own a PS5 console, then you will love Antstream Arcade. It feels like a separate retro cloud gaming world that has been built inside of your PS5.
When you first load up Antstream Arcade you will instantly have an account created for you, where you can select your avatar and change your account name should you want to.
Your account also adds an RPG element to the game and this is thanks to challenges. Challenges provide a real competitive incentive to Antstream Arcade. Each game has a set of challenges for you to complete, ranging from easy to very challenging, doing so will earn you both XP and Gems. Gems can then be used to unlock harder challenges for each game and compete with other gamers on various global leaderboards.
A Retro Gaming Heaven
Of course, Antstream Arcade’s main appeal is the retro games and I am pleased to say that the service is an absolute heaven for retro gaming fans.
There are so many games to choose from that you can lose hours in Antstream Arcade. Some of my personal favourites to play have been Crude Buster (Two Crude Dudes), Splatterhouse, Skool Daze and Street Racer. Each of these had me taking a trip through my own personal gaming nostalgia.
Multiple genres are also covered from Sports to RPGs, it is a fantastic experience to delve into each category and have multiple moments of ‘Oh yeah I remember that game!’ One particular experience I had was with the game Street Racer, this game was pretty much gone from my memory until I discovered it on Antstream Arcade. Cue a wave of retro nostalgia flooding back to me that I spent hours upon hours playing this game as a child!
One fantastic feature is that certain games can be played in couch co-op. Surely I cannot be the only person who has very fond memories of being seated in front of an old TV, retro controller in hand and blasting through endless levels of fun with a family member or friend, but thankfully you can do this again with Antstream Arcade. Only, just in a more modern setting!
All game progress can also be saved, allowing you to jump back instantly to where you left off. You can also add a game to your favourites list which will allow you to find them quicker when you come back for your next session.
Controller mapping is also available, each game has a ‘mapping’ tab that will allow you to rearrange certain control prompts to your own preference. All in all, Antstream has done a lot of work to make sure that gamers get the best versions of these retro games possible.
A Fine Time On The PlayStation Portal
An element of my Antstream Arcade PS5 Review that I want to highlight is the time I spent playing the service on the PlayStation Portal.
I honestly believe that this is where Antstream Arcade shined for me. I, laying in bed at night, PlayStation Portal in hand and a plethora of retro video games ready to pay instantly at my fingertips. Truly a marvel and an advert for modern-day technology.
I stated earlier in my review that if you were a fan of retro video games then you would love Antstream Arcade. If you own a PlayStation Portal and love retro video games I will simply add to this that Antstream Arcade is a must-have for your collection.
What Is The Cost
Of course, there is a cost to access the vast library of retro games that Antstream Arcade has to offer. PlayStation gamers looking to delve in will have two options available to them. They can pay £32.99 for an annual pass, which will be valid for 12 months and would then need to be renewed. A more expensive lifetime pass is also available priced at £79.99, this will provide you with a lifetime subscription to the service on the PlayStation platform.
Both passes will provide you with full access to the Antstream Arcade service and there are no extra costs involved other than these passes.
Final Thoughts
I have many fond memories of a range of retro video game titles but I will also be honest when I say I do not actively look to go and source a way to play these games. Never have I considered purchasing an old retro console and finding a way to hook it up to my gaming monitor so I can relive a piece of nostalgia.
Thankfully, Antstream Arcade allows me and others to do this on the modern-day generation of video game consoles. There is a vast selection of retro games available to play, that will suit all genres and tastes and Antstream adds more games to their service constantly. If there was one small area I would like to see them improve it would be the user interface. It is not that the UI is badly designed but on PS5 it just seems a little sluggish at times to manoeuvre, an issue I have not experienced using Anstream Arcade on other devices. However, this is a minuscule grievance and I am sure that it will be fixed in time.
Covering it already earlier in this review, my thoughts on Antstream Arcade on PS5 is simple, if you are a retro game fan then this is a package for you. If you also own a PlayStation Portal device then this is even more for you as the two go perfectly together.
Overall, colour me impressed, very impressed.
Antstream Arcade PS5 Review
Summary
Antstream Arcade on PlayStation 5 is a must-have for retro gaming fans. It provides over 1300 retro games that can be played instantly. If you also own a PlayStation Portal device then quite simply, purchase Anstream Arcade!
