You Can Now Preorder Sony's Apple TV Killer
Sony announced on Monday that the PlayStation TV will be available on Oct. 14, and will launch with 700 games.
We got our first look at the set-top box at the E3 video game conference in June. The PlayStation TV will allow you to play PS3, PlayStation One, and PSP classic games through Sony's streaming-game service, PlayStation Now. It will also give you access to music and video-streaming services, much like Amazon's Fire TV or the Apple TV.
It will also connect with a PlayStation 4, allowing you to play PS4 games on another TV in your house, using what it calls Remote Play. The only caveat is that a wired internet network connection is necessary.
The PlayStation TV will be $99 for the system itself. You'll also need to buy a DualShock 3 controller, which must be purchased separately and costs about $40. Or for $139, you can a bundle that includes a controller and a Lego game, as well as an 8GB memory card.
The device has been out in Japan for nearly a year under the name Vita TV, but was marred by a fairly limited library of games and mediocre streaming services.
It'll be interesting to see what Sony has in mind for the future of the set-top box, or if it's just trying to throw its hat into an already crowded ring full of Apple TVs and Rokus. The Fire TV launched with more than 100 games back when it debuted earlier this year. And Microsoft doesn't offer a set-top box or any sort of "remote" play functionality with its Xbox console.
According to Business Insider Intelligence, video game consoles are the most popular streaming devices, with 54% of the market.
Perhaps with a launch library full of 700 games and the promise of Remote Play, the PlayStation TV will offer people an alternative to a standalone streaming device, which costs way less than a full gaming console.