- Sony is adding support for various media streaming apps on PlayStation 5, with six arriving upon launch.
- The new gaming console will feature a dedicated space for media streaming, making the experience more natural.
- Players will have the option to live-stream their gameplay through Twitch or YouTube and even chat with their viewers.
Gaming consoles are all about entertainment, and this isn’t strictly limited to playing amazing games. Having ways to consume other media is key, and traditionally, consoles have always supported the playback of movies, etc.
In 2020 though, it’s all about streaming platforms, and Sony had to take the necessary steps to bring their next-gen console in sync with what is happening. Through an announcement by Phil Rosenberg, the Head of Global Partner Development and Relations, Sony confirms that its new console will support the most popular streaming platforms, most of which from day one.
The streaming apps that will be available right from the launch of PS5 are Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube. Those that will be added later on are Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, and MyCanal. Sony says there could be even more besides all these, so given enough time, PS5 will gradually become a universal media streaming device.
Those apps won’t be just thrown in the PlayStation Store, but they will be deeply integrated into the console’s user experience. For example, Twitch will support gameplay live-streaming with live chat. YouTube will also offer players the option to broadcast their gameplay right on their channel without ever having to leave PS5.
PlayStation 5 will have a dedicated UX for media entertainment so that users may find something to watch or listen to from an interface that’s comfortable, modern, and user-friendly. Media playback in the past felt like an awkward re-purposing of the console, and the associated UX gave the idea of navigating at the edge of the device’s functionality. In PS5, Sony wants to remove this sense and bring media entertainment right at the center of the experience together with gaming.
The new Media Remote that is going to be made available upon the launch of the PS5 console plays a key role in that part, giving users a way to quickly navigate media and fire up streaming apps through dedicated buttons. The platforms of choice that got a prominent position on the remote are Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube.