PlayStation one-ups Xbox with new Amazon Instant Video app

Online retail giant Amazon has launched a new streaming video app for Sony’s PlayStation 3 game console, the company announced today.

As part of the agreement between Sony and Amazon, the Amazon Instant Video App will be prominently featured on all consoles in the U.S. It also makes the PS3 the sole gaming console to integrate with Amazon’s streaming video service, which includes over 17,000 TV shows and movies available for free to Amazon Prime members.

An Amazon Prime membership will run you $79 per year but also offers you free two-day shipping through Amazon’s website and access to the Kindle e-book lending library. To celebrate the launch of its PS3 app, Amazon is offering the first episode of more than 100 TV shows for free to both Prime and non-Prime customers. (And of course, you can always buy or rent tons of movies and TV shows.)

This is a big win for the PS3 and one that was definitely needed to compete with the Xbox. Last week, the Xbox debuted a handful of new apps, including MLB.tv, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, and HBO Go.

Below are some additional details about the new Amazon PS3 app from the press release:

• Instant streaming of nearly 25,000 high-definition movies and TV shows that start and resume in just seconds.
• New smart lists such as Recently Watched, Next Episode and Personal Recommendations. These lists appear on the home screen of the PS3 system app and update dynamically based on what customers watch and buy. They make it easy for customers to find the next thing they want to watch. They can start watching an episode where they left off or watch the next episode in a series. It introduces them to new TV shows and movies that they will love.
• Whispersync lets customers seamlessly switch from one device to another. Start streaming a movie on Kindle Fire, then pick up right where you left off on your PS3 system — avoid the frustration of having to find your spot.
• Your Video Library gives customers access to purchases from Amazon Instant Video on the PlayStation 3 system or any of the hundreds of other devices enabled for Amazon Instant Video.