Entertainment boxes just keep getting smaller and more affordable. Similar to mobile phones, the pieces of hardware that push the best movies, TV shows, and even gaming experiences have shrunk as our technological know-how continues to expand. Although certain hefty pieces of tech have found recent success on the market, this shift toward streamlined machines should only continue to gain steam with the announcement of the PlayStation TV.
Sony’s bold move into the competitive streaming space is slated for a fall launch, and at the cool price point of $99, the set-top box will be competitive with the likes of Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. And with its ingrained focus on cloud-based gaming and streaming services at the forefront, the PlayStation TV pushes household entertainment more prominently toward affordable, sleek devices.
The Fire TV was first to brandish the concept of bringing substantial gaming software to the consumer without the need of expensive hardware, but Sony is taking gaming even more seriously with the PlayStation TV. Currently available under the moniker PlayStation Vita TV in Japan, this miniature machine allows players to experience classic PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and even PlayStation 3 games sans their native hardware through the PlayStation Now service. The subscription-based model, which enters beta July 31, gives paying customers access to hundreds of rentable games via cloud technology.
It still has a few kinks, as even minor latency can be the difference between a clean turn in a racing game and a season-ending crash, but that doesn’t make it any less profound. Along with its gaming suite, the PlayStation TV will support popular streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, making DVD and Blu-ray players appear even less relevant.
The possibilities don’t stop there, either. If PlayStation Now can mature to a point where it has the ability to stream the latest PlayStation 4 games to a TV without the need of a $399 console, then there’d be little motivation for Sony—or its competitors—to continue producing these high-end machines.
Spotty Internet connections and a personal affinity for physical discs will continue to turn a considerable number of people away from cloud-based alternatives like the PlayStation TV and Google’s Chromecast. However, it’s clear that this is the road the industry leaders are interesting in following, so it’s only a matter of time before the technology catches up to the ambition.
