Best answer: No. If you've got PlayStation Now, you can play PlayStation games online. You won't have access to the other benefits that PlayStation Plus brings, however, such as special discounts and sales.
- Get started with PlayStation streaming: 1-month PlayStation Now membership ($10 at Amazon)
- Stock up your PlayStation wallet: PlayStation Store gift card (From $10 at Amazon)
Is online multiplayer included with PlayStation Now?
If you subscribe to PlayStation Now but not PlayStation Plus, you'll still have access to online multiplayer. Technically, according to the FAQ for PlayStation Now, you have access to multiplayer for "the majority of games" though this seems to be a disclaimer, rather than an actual statement that some games' multiplayer is blocked off. Free to play games, such as Fortnite, do not require any subscription to play online.
Do I get the other features from PlayStation Plus?
No, things like the monthly free games and the discounts for PlayStation Plus subscribers will stay exclusive to that subscription. If you only have PlayStation Now, you won't be able to access them. The only exception is Cloud saves, as PlayStation Now does grant Cloud saves for any games in the PlayStation Now library, so you don't need to worry about losing your progress in those games. This feature will not be extended to games in your personal library.
What are the main benefits of each subscription?
PlayStation Now is Sony's game streaming library subscription. It has hundreds of games, mostly PS3 titles but also some PS4 games and a handful of PS2 ports. You get access to multiplayer and cloud saves for these particular games through PlayStation Now. You can download PS4 games onto your PS4, but you'll have to stream the PS3 titles.
PlayStation Plus is a subscription that gives access to online multiplayer for the games you own, a couple of new free games every month, and special discounts only available for members of PlayStation Plus.
Gaming where you want.
PlayStation Now allows users to stream 800 different games to their PlayStation 4 or PC, a good portion of which can be downloaded directly to your console. With an ever-growing library, it's a great option if you don't want to purchase a bunch of games.
Easy cash for the PlayStation Store
Grabbing a gift card for the PlayStation Store is the easiest way to stock up and be prepared for anything you might want to buy, from new games and DLC to movies and subscriptions.
