Earlier this year, Sony announced that their PlayStation TV device — previously released in Japan as the PS Vita TV — would be released in American and European markets. Now, the company has released a video on YouTube which explains just what's offered up by the microconsole, which works as a standalone streaming console and a remote play device for PS4 games.

Front and center are the games, with PS Vita, PSP and PS1 libraries being available to players — the same capabilities as those of the PS Vita handheld. What isn't mentioned in this video is the upcoming PlayStation Now streaming service; likely omitted because it won't be available to the public on launch day.

The games featured in the video comprise of bundle pack-in The Lego Movie: The Videogame, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and MLB 14: The Show, a rather cannily chosen trio that demonstrate that the machine has content for younger players, gamers seeking a beloved series and those looking for more mainstream fare.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Japan

All of these three titles were met with favorable reviews and will appeal to particular audiences— the benefit of this new console being based on a previously established one is that it already has a prosperous library of content, bolstered by legacy titles from the PSP and PSOne.

If you've already got a PlayStation 4, then you'll also be able to use the device's Remote Play feature to stream it to the television that your PlayStation TV is connected to.  This might not be quite as useful as streaming to a portable device, but it's something that certain users will find

However, it's made very clear that the PlayStation TV isn't just about games. The success of devices like the Kindle Fire TV and Chromecast that there's consumer interest in having access to internet streaming content on their television, and that's something that Sony are looking to get in on.

PlayStation TV Announcement

At present, only Sony's own music and video streaming services are confirmed, so it'll be a question of whether big names like Netflix and Hulu make an appearance that really establish whether or not PlayStation TV resonates with a broad audience.

However, if a similar range of apps to that offered on the PS Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 can be assembled, the PlayStation TV looks like a rather attractive prospect. For a cheap and cheerful machine that will let you play older titles you might have missed as well as offering access to streaming services, it's a nice package — that said, if you've already got a console hooked up to your television, it might not have all that much to offer.

The PlayStation TV is set to release on October 14, with the standalone console retailing at$99.99.