Sony announced this week that it has sold a staggering ten million PlayStation 4 consoles since launching the device last year. The news came after it recently emerged that the PlayStation 3 and 4 are together outselling Microsoft"s Xbox 360 and Xbox One by over 3-to-1.
The company will be understandably keen to extend its lead over Microsoft even further, especially as its rival has been working hard to close the gap, first doubling Xbox One sales with a lower-cost Kinect-free model, and adding new upcoming features for its latest console. But although it has apparently given up on its mobile gaming dreams, with the effective termination of its PlayStation for Android initiative, Sony is now poised to expand its living room presence instead.
As BBC News reports, Sony has confirmed plans to launch PlayStation TV in the United States and Europe later this year. The device has been available in Japan since last year, but it will go on sale this autumn in other parts of the world.
Unlike other streaming boxes - like Apple TV and Roku"s devices - PlayStation TV can not just handle video streaming, but is also designed to support gaming, via the company"s PlayStation Now game-streaming service. In the United States, gamers will be able to enjoy this feature on the PlayStation TV at launch, but PS Now will not be available in Europe until some time next year.
The PS TV will go on sale in the US on October 14 for $99 USD, and in Europe on November 14 for €99 EUR, and will include a selection of free games.
Wider availability of the PlayStation TV will expose a large gap in the Xbox range, particularly on the pricing front. The cheapest Xbox 360 still costs around twice the price of the PS TV, and is still ostensibly a gaming machine with entertainment add-ons. The PS TV may be positioned to target those looking for a primary entertainment device for the living room with support for occasional gaming, and at half the price of the Xbox 360, it may well find a sizeable market of potential buyers.
Microsoft was rumored to be working on an "Xbox TV" low-cost set-top box a couple of years, but that device never materialized.
Source: BBC News | image via Sony