David Farnor | On 10, Jun 2014

Sony has unveiled a new device called PlayStation TV at E3 today.

The tiny black box, previously released as PlayStation Vita TV in Japan and Asaia, allows people to stream things to their TV.

For existing PS4 owners, it extends the console to allow players to stream games to any other TV in the house – effectively a second gaming station for when the living room gets crowded.

For those without a PlayStation, the device will work with PlayStation Now, its online service that lets users stream PS3 games alongside other PS Vita, PSP and classic PS One titles. PlayStation Now will be rolled out across the PAL region this year.

Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is that the PlayStation Vita TV is also compatible with other Vita apps, which include Netflix and YouTube. The PlayStation TV, then, will give you a portable console measuring just 6.5cm × 10.5cm that delivers not just legacy games but also VOD.

PlayStation TV will launch in the UK later this year and has an expected RRP of €99.

In the US, it will be released for $99 on its own and for $139 as a bundle including a DualShock 3 controller, HDMI cable, 8GB memory card and The LEGO Movie game.

The announcement makes Sony the latest in a string of new streaming media devices to hit UK shores, from Google Chromecast to the Roku Streaming Stick.

PlayStation TV is not the company’s only step towards online video, though: Sony also announced further details at E3 about Powers, its original TV show that was announced earlier this year. The superhero/crime/fantasy programme, based on the graphic novel by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, is comprised of 60-minute episodes and will release its first episode for free on PS4, PS3 and PlayStation Vita.

In a move to rival Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and other subscription VOD services, Sony confirmed that the entire Powers series and future Sony original content will be available free of charge to all PlayStation Plus subscribers.

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