Sony has long offered PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players the opportunity to watch movies and TV via the consoles' storefronts, with both purchasing and renting options available. Announced via a post on the PlayStation Blog today, it seems the service won't be a core part of the company's plans going forward, with Sony allegedly believing that the growth of subscription-based streaming services on the console has negated the need for it.
"We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles," reads a statement from Sony Interactive Entertainment's Head of Video Business, Vanessa Lee. As a result of this change in customer behavior, Lee states that Sony has decided that it will no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals on the PlayStation Store starting August 31.
Following the removal of the service later this year, PlayStation Store users who have purchased films or TV shows through the digital marketplace will still be able to access their content through their PS4, PS5, and mobile device. It's a big shift for Sony, which has long attempted to offer multimedia content through the storefront itself rather than relying exclusively on streaming services. Going forward, it seems Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and the wealth of other significant streaming names that operate on PlayStation will be the go-to media hubs for Sony's consoles.
In other PlayStation-related news, Sony has recently decided to reimplement its Play At Home Initiative, which incentivizes remaining indoors during the pandemic with free video games. This month, the company will be giving away Insomniac Games' acclaimed Ratchet and Clank reboot, which sees the famed Lombax and his robot partner team-up for a reimagining of their first-ever adventure. It will be available for free to all PlayStation users, whether they have a PS Plus membership or not, with more titles slated to come over the next few months.
The company also held a recent State of Play showcase, which covered significant upcoming games like Returnal, Sifu, Deathloop, and Kena Bridge of Spirits. It even announced a PlayStation 5 upgrade for Final Fantasy 7 Remake titled Intergrade, which will add an exclusive chapter centered around Yuffie, one of the optional party members featured in the original Final Fantasy 7. The enhanced remaster is also slated to bring a slew of visual upgrades to Square Enix's reimagining of the iconic JRPG, including new lighting effects, textures, and reflections, alongside improved loading times. Sony clearly isn't slowing down throughout 2021, looking to deliver another year chock full of surprises.
Source: PlayStation Blog