Xbox has already confirmed that XCloud will support Game Pass , that's 10 Million subscribers already and that you'll be able to stream your purchased games. That's coming this year, none of the points you raised has said anything about PSNow supporting digitally purchased games soon.
As I remember they didn't say that xCloud was going to be free for all Game Pass subscribers, instead they said that you'd be able to stream your Game Pass games. But weren't clear if in the "Remote Play" part of xCloud (using your console as server) or if you pay the xCloud subscription on top of the GamePass subscription you'd be able to play them on streaming, or if only paying the xCloud subscription it will feature a number of games where the 100+ ones from Game Pass would be a part of them.
In the Sony powerpoint for investors where did talk about plans for the future, in a slide there was a picture saying that in the past games only were purchased on retail, in the present were bought digitally or in retail, and for next gen there would be a 3rd option that would be for streaming. But didn't offer additional details and I only saw the powerpoint, didn't listen the presentation.
Like I say What advantage does Sony have over Microsoft? Other than consoles and 1st party, not much else.
Basically Sony dominates MS on every gaming market portion where they compete:
- Sony's gaming division has way more revenue and profits than the MS gaming division
- Sony has more than 2X the console hardware userbase, it's the market leader in userbase
- Sony sells more games (including 3rd) for their consoles, it's the market leader in revenue
- Sony sells more current gen exclusive games than MS, not counting Nintendo it's the market leader in exclusives
- Sony has more users in game subscriptions (Plus+Now vs Gold+Pass), it's the market leader
- Sony has more revenue in game subscriptions (Plus+Now vs Gold+Pass), it's the market leader
- Sony is the market leader in game streaming, MS still didn't release their service
- Sony is the most experienced in game streaming
- Sony has the biggest current library (700+ games) in a game subscription service, MS as of now has zero
- Sony is the (premium, non-mobile) VR market leader and the most experienced one. MS still didn't debut on VR
Consoles have nothing to do with game streaming and gaining subscribers via consoles only cannibalises the PS platform market. The fact is Sony hardware is irrelevant outside of Consoles and they struggled to forge partnerships with device makers to promote PSNow. MS already works with Device makers. ISPs, carriers in promoting Microsoft services and already along with Google and Amazon have a significant internet presence.
Let me ask you this question. Where has Sony worked with any other device maker, carrier to promote PSNow? Other than the abandoned partnership with Samsung, nobody else sticks out.
Consoles have to do with game streaming because the streamed games are console games so the game streaming users are console gaming fans even if they don't own a particular console. Sony has a bigger console userbase, game services userbase, and next gen annoucements generated more attention on social media. So Sony has the lead/easier job in marketing game streaming service.
As of now PS Now is available on PS and PC, so doesn't make sense to promote it with anyone else. They mentioned for their next gen plans to release PS Now on Android devices (which includes mobile, tablets, TVs etc), as they started to do with Remote Play recently.
xCloud still has not been released, so they don't promote it.
In fact, MS and Sony have their own giant marketing teams and don't need anyone else to promote their own stuff. And less with device makers, carriers or ISPs because they don't promote or sell game services.
