LOVEFiLM, Netflix, BlinkBox, ITV Player and NowTV will not be available on PlayStation 4 in the UK at launch, while other provider’s streaming apps still remain in question. In response to questions over twitter, LOVEFiLM says they have no confirmed information on the new devices, with Netflix responding with a similar statement.
Following the release of the ultimate PS4 FAQ yesterday, a lot of users were unhappy to find that some commonly used PS3 functionality would be missing from the PS4, including MP3 and Audio CD playback and media streaming. The response from users has not fallen on deaf ears, with Sony’s President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, saying that the feedback will be passed onto the PS4 development team.
Gaikai streaming wasn’t mentioned in Sony’s Gamescom Press Conference last month, but Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s CEO Jim Ryan has detailed out the launch plans for the service. As mentioned at E3, Gaikai will first launch in North America in 2014 for the PS4, before heading to the PS Vita and then the PS3.
Unlike the Xbox One, which locks the console’s Game DVR features behind a Xbox Live Gold subscription, the PS4 won’t require users to have a PlayStation Plus subscription to use the console’s DVR features. The news was confirmed by a tweet from Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida in response to a question from @jonboi204.
Sky’s Now TV streaming service is finally out of beta and officially available on the PS3, giving gamers in the UK access to Sky Sports and Sky Movies channels. The service costs £15 a month, but comes with a 30-day free trial, a reduced three-month introductory price of £8.99 per month, and a free 90-day PlayStation Plus subscription.
At E3, Sony confirmed that the PlayStation 4 will be getting PS3 backwards compatibility using Gaikai’s streaming technology in 2014. Initially available in the US, Gaikai will provide PS3 and PS4 owners access to critically acclaimed PS3 games, streamed through cloud.
LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company, has released version 2.0 of its streaming application for the PS3, bringing a host of exciting new features to members. New features include an improved search function and recommendation engine, making great content more accessible than ever before, and an optimised user interface that enhances the way members browse the latest films and TV shows.
Sony is always expanding the entertainment options on the PS3 and PS Vita, and the latest announcement is the launch of the EPIX app on the PlayStation Network. EPIS provides premium content, with more than 3,000 new and classic feature films, concerts, stand-up comedy and sports shows.
Netflix is available on a multitude of devices, from PS Vita to tablets and PCs, but, the PS3 is the number 1 device used to stream content in the living room for the provider. The service was first launched on the console back in November 2009 and has since become a primary development platform for the Netflix streaming experience, giving PS3 owners early access to many new features that come to other platforms later.
Gaikai has updated its Q&A page to answer questions over the recent Sony acquisition, answering questions that many gamers may have. Gaikai reveals that the team is “working on a number of exciting initiatives.” When asked about Gaikai on Sony platforms, the company said it “cannot share any details at this point in time.”
