For regular readers of the site, you know that time and time again, I’ve argued that the future of PlayStation is not another console and yet a cohesive service that lives on other devices. Think about the ceiling Netflix would have reached if its service only ran on their own hardware. PlayStation is no different and I suspect that there will most certainly be a PS5 – but a PS6 or PS7 as a dedicated console? That seems less and less likely – and more likely that, much like Netflix, they’ll be an app on hardware from other manufacturers like Amazon and perhaps Apple.
If you need further proof of this, look no further than PlayStation Vue arriving on streaming boxes from Amazon. Let’s talk more after the jump.
As a quick recap, PlayStation Vue is the a la carte TV service from Sony which combines cloud services to help you pay for what you want and record in an entirely new way. You can read more about PlayStation Vue here which recently gained Disney, bringing all major networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC along side ESPN to the streaming service.
Great on its own, PlayStation Vue still faces many challenges like availability in terms of cities it’s offered in and the number of devices that can access it. Currently, you can only subscribe to PS Vue in 7 cities though Sony has promised to ramp up that number and they have with the service only having 2 cities during its launch in early 2015. One thing that sets PS Vue apart from other services like Sling TV is the inclusion of local channels. This means that for every major market Sony wants to expand to, they must negotiate with the local stations and can’t simply flick a switch like Netflix.
City availability aside, PS Vue isn’t available on all that many devices. As it stands, you can only access it via PS3, PS4 and iPhone, and iPad. Interestingly enough, not even the PS Vita and, more ironically, the PS TV can access PS Vue. The truth however is that even if they could, the number of those two units combined is dwarfed by the number of boxes Amazon has shipped.
That’s why PlayStation Vue coming to Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, with Chromecast support soon to follow is a big deal. Suddenly PS Vue is on millions of devices that had one original purpose: to consume media, unlike say the Vita which is first and foremost a gaming device.
For Sony, while selling devices that run PlayStation Vue has an extra benefit for them bottom line, the truth is that for Vue to truly thrive, it must be available on every device possible – and they’re not the only ones with this mentality. In early summer, Apple Music, the streaming service from the Cupertino juggernaut was announced and in order for it to compete with the likes of Pandora and Spotify, Apple had to expand the scope of its new service beyond iOS and Mac devices. That’s why earlier this week, Apple Music arrived on Android devices.
Make no mistake that the future of PlayStation is in the form of an app and that’s ok. The more devices Sony is able to get their services like PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Now on, the more it strengthens the brand. Because ultimately when you’re enjoying Daredevil via Netflix or Uncharted from Naughty Dog, the box that outputs should matter little and instead, the quality of the content should and that will be no different in a future where PlayStation services like Vue are just an app.
PlayStation Vue is now available on Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick as a free download.
Discuss:
What devices would you like to see PlayStation Vue come to next?
[Via PlayStation]