Discord is a popular chatting app that allows users to make servers, send messages, make voice calls, and stream videos. Although it has several applications, Discord has found heavy use in the gaming world due to how easy it is to set up servers for gaming groups and stream gameplay to friends. While Discord is almost a must-have for PC gamers, console players have been left out in the cold due to the lack of meaningful integration between Discord and consoles.
Fortunately, in May 2021, it was announced that Sony Interactive Entertainment had invested in Discord. Thanks to this investment, integration between Discord and PlayStation is scheduled for 2022. While details surrounding PlayStation's plans with Discord have yet to be revealed, the announcement is good news as it opens up more avenues for gamers to connect and socialize via gaming. For PlayStation to get its Discord implementation right, there are a few features it should prioritize.
What is Discord?
Discord is available on PC and mobile. Users can create or join servers which can be about pretty much anything, whether it be a work server, a personal server, a celebrity server, or a group study server. Servers are useful because users can communicate with each other and share videos and pictures. User profiles can be personalized, and servers can be customized, too. For users who want a little more out of Discord, a paid service called Discord Nitro is available which offers plenty of perks including the ability to have animated profile pictures, upload larger files, and use custom emojis across different servers.
Discord is an app that is beloved among gamers due to how easy it makes communication between players. Playing a social game like Among Us with friends is made simpler with Discord thanks to voice calls. Furthermore, video streaming allows players to stream their gameplay to others. Discord is a good way to maintain gaming communities and keep connected with friends.
How PlayStation Should Integrate Discord
Although text messaging is one of the main features of Discord, it probably will not do much good on PlayStation. Typing on a console is tedious, and it is something most people avoid if they can. However, there are plenty of things PlayStation and Discord can do.
The most obvious feature to implement first is playing status, which is something PC players have enjoyed for a while. Discord can display what game someone is currently playing, and for how long they have been playing it. There does exist a workaround for this for PlayStation players through using a third-party app called PlayStationDiscord, though it would be best if PlayStation could implement it natively. Another feature PC players have enjoyed for a while is the ability to directly stream gameplay from one's desktop. The ability to stream gameplay from PlayStation to a Discord server would be a welcome feature that would allow for gaming to become a more social activity even when playing singleplayer games.
Lastly, PlayStation should allow for videos and images to be uploaded to Discord servers directly from consoles. Transferring media from PlayStation to anywhere else can be an annoying process, but with Discord, things could be made easier. Furthermore, sharing one's favorite screenshots with friends will be a breeze if they can be directly uploaded to a group server.
Players will have to wait to see what PlayStation and Discord will cook up, although Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has stated that the partnership is meant to allow "friends, groups, and communities to hang out, have fun, and communicate more easily while playing games together." Hopefully, the potential of the partnership is fully utilized.
Discord is available on PC and mobile. It is scheduled to arrive on PlayStation in 2022.