David Farnor | On 14, Aug 2014

Sony has confirmed that PlayStation TV will launch in the UK on 14th November.

The device, which has already been released in Japan, is Sony’s entry into the increasingly crowded streaming media device market.

The tiny box will allow people to stream videos through Netflix and other VOD services, putting it in direct competition with Apple TV, Roku devices (including Sky’s NOW box) and Amazon’s Fire TV, which is also yet to be released in this country.

Unlike its rivals, though, Sony’s PlayStation TV will also include access to PlayStation games, with a Remote Play library of titles available in the cloud and the ability to stream your PS4 game live to another TV in your house (should the one you’re currently using become unavailable). Access to Sony’s other games service, PlayStation Now, will also be included, with the PlayStation TV offering streaming access to older titles, mostly PS Vita releases but also PSOne games, the discs for which are currently incompatible with modern consoles.

The nostalgia appeal may not win over ardent Sony gamers, who will already have VOD apps on their next-gen consoles, but it certainly has the potential to bring in a broader, more casual market with no Sony device at all – an area that Sony is keen to bring under its commercial wing.

How much will PlayStation TV cost? In the UK, the RRP is £84.99, which makes it a cheap console or an expensive streaming media box – more than Amazon Fire TV, which also places an emphasis on gaming, and around the same price as the Apple TV.

PlayStation TV may not be able to compete directly with dedicated set top boxes or gaming machines, but its bizarre mix of the two may just be enough to carve out its own niche market among Sony customers.

Add to Watchlist