Sony PlayStation TV lets you play games and watch films on any set in the house
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Sony is going head to head with Microsoft after it announced that its $99 (£60) Playstation TV will be released in the U.S., Canada and Europe this autumn
Sony is going head-to-head with Microsoft after it announced its $99 PlayStation TV.
The tiny streaming box, launched last year as PS Vita TV in Japan, will let users play games on a TV that is not connected to a console.
It will be released in the U.S., Canada and Europe this autumn, but local prices have not been announced.
It follows the release of Microsoft's next-generation console, the £400 ($500) Xbox One - described as an 'all-in-one entertainment system for a new generation.'
At Sony's press conference, on the opening day of the E3 video game convention in Los Angeles, the chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment for North America, Shawn Layden, unveiled the new hardware.
Called PlayStation TV, the device will also rival systems including Apple TV, Roku, and Google Chromecast - all of which let users stream content from other devices to their home TV.
Sony's device will let users play games on a different TV as long as they have a controller to use with the box. It will also stream TV shows and films.
Sony is looking to build on a successful start for its latest console, which had sold two million more units than the Xbox One as of May.
Sony's first original TV series for PlayStation is introduced at the Sony PlayStation press conference prior to the start of the E3 in Los Angeles, California, USA
FEATURES OF THE PS TV SYSTEM
PlayStation 4 remote play: As with PS Vita, PS TV supports PS4 remote play and Wireless Controller. This will allow PS4 owners in the living room to continue playing a game on a PS TV system in their bedroom.
PlayStation Now: Once PlayStation Now is rolled out across the PAL region, PS TV users will be able to enjoy PlayStation 3 games via streaming.
Line-up of software titles: PS TV offers a library of PS Vita, PSP and classic PS One titles. Owners will be able to use all of these titles using a Dualshock 3 or Dualshock 4 controller.
While Microsoft chose to focus their own press conference earlier in the day solely on games, Sony dedicated plenty of time to their hardware, including devices like the Vita handheld console.
Andrew House, the CEO of the Sony Computer Group said: 'We want you to share our vision for the future of gaming. PlayStation is the best place to play above all else. You are a member of an extensive community of rivals and friends.'
In what looks like a direct challenge to services like Netflix, Sony also announced plans to create a host of their own produced TV shows that will be exclusive to the PlayStation TV.
The first of these shows, a sci-fi crime drama called Powers, will appear at the end of the year.
Microsoft is also working on a series of original shows.
The six projects include a Halo series produced by Steven Spielberg and a Halo digital feature produced by Ridley Scott.
Two other series are also in development, including a six-part documentary about modern technology, called Signal to Noise, and Humans, an English version of a Swedish series about robotic servants.
During Sony's event, Layden also spoke about the platform's 'commitment' to free-to-play games, promising 'more than 25 over the next 12 months' for users to download for free.
In terms of games, Sony managed to draw several big cheers from the crowd with the titles they previewed, including Uncharted and Sack Boy.
While Microsoft chose to focus their own press conference earlier in the day solely on games, Sony dedicated plenty of time to their hardware, including devices like the Vita handheld console
Xbox had set an impressive tone earlier in the day with a conference that included a string of new titles for their own next-generation console.
Among the games to receive the best reaction from the crowd included an extended look at the futuristic Destiny, which is seen by some as a challenger to the popular Halo franchise on Xbox.
A new gothic horror game called The Order - 1886 was shown off, set in Victorian-era London. There was also confirmation of a fourth instalment of the popular Uncharted series.
Although both conferences drew plenty of cheers and enthusiasm from the crowd, experts leaving the hall following the Sony briefing felt that PlayStation had had the better first day.
Both companies will now set up booths for three days of the convention, where players can try out the new games for the first time.
MICROSOFT TEASES NEW 'CRACKDOWN' AND 'HALO' TITLES AT E3
Microsoft focused exclusively on hyping titles coming to its Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles during its presentation Monday ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the game industry's annual trade show.
The new Xbox One games included a fresh installment of the open-world romp 'Crackdown'; a reboot of the Xbox action game 'Phantom Dust'; the original dragon-centric adventure 'Scalebound' from developer Platinum Games; a sequel to the 2013 'Tomb Raider' reboot titled 'Rise of the Tomb Raider'; and a 'Halo' collection that will bring four prior installments of the sci-fi shooter to Microsoft's latest console.
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, began the 90-minute presentation by noting that Microsoft changed features of the Xbox One, which launched last November, after listening to consumer feedback.
When the company initially unveiled the Xbox One last year at its Redmond, Washington, headquarters, Microsoft billed the $499 console as an "all-in-one" entertainment hub for the living room.
Microsoft Corp. has lagged behind Sony Corp. since both companies began selling their latest consoles last November. Microsoft has sold 5 million Xbox One consoles to Sony's 7 million PlayStation 4 units. However, both companies have outpaced the sales of their predecessor consoles — the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 — during the same time period.
Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division and Microsoft Studios, presents a fresh installment of the open-world romp 'Crackdown,' for the Xbox One, during a presentation ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the University of Southern California's Galen Center on Monday
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