U.S. gamers can play Vita and PlayStation Portable software on their big screen starting next month.
Sony announced today that it will release PlayStation TV for $100 on Oct. 14. This is the company’s new set-top box (or microconsole) that will enable players to buy and play games as well as videos from Sony’s digital stores or app partners like Netflix. For one Benjamin Franklin, you’ll get just the microconsole. If you drop $140, you’ll get the box, a DualShock 3 controller, an 8GB proprietary memory card, and The Lego Movie Video Game.
PlayStation TV is one way that Sony is trying to get gamers and media consumers to buy into the Sony Entertainment Network ecosystem. If you buy a movie on your PlayStation 4, you’ll also have it on the PS TV in the other room.
PS TV is compatible with nearly 700 games from across the Vita, PSP, and original PlayStation libraries. That number will grow as Sony adds more games to its online store. The PS TV also works with the PlayStation Now cloud-streaming service. A portion of those 700 games includes PS3 software that players can access through Now.
In addition to older stuff from Sony’s previous hardware, one of PS TV’s biggest features is the capability to stream PS4 games — although not from the cloud. If you have both the set-top box and Sony’s latest home console, you can use the PS TV as a hub to connect with and play the games on your PS4. The company even points out that you can continue on the PS TV in another room right from where you left off with your PS4.
The PS TV will need all of these features to help it compete in a competitive marketplace. The system is going up against the Apple TV as well as Android-powered microconsoles like Ouya and Amazon Fire TV. By positioning it as a PlayStation product, Sony could come out ahead of some or all of those devices.