Andrew Cunningham
After a long wait, Sony announced late at E3 on Thursday that the PlayStation TV would launch in North America and Europe in Fall 2014. Previously, the PSTV was only available in Japan.
During the E3 keynote address, Sony officials said the $99 device pairs with a PlayStation 4 and enables remote play on a second TV on the same network. PSTV also provides access to video and streaming services. In addition, owners have instant access to 1,000 games via the PlayStation Network and PlayStation Now.
Add an extra $40 (for a total of $139), and Sony will gladly sell you a bundle that also includes Dual Shock 3, memory card, HDMI cable, and a digital voucher for The Lego Movie video game.
“The pace of innovation at PlayStation continues to accelerate,” Shawn Layden, President and COO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, told the audience.
Layden also showed the worldwide premiere of Mortal Kombat xin which Scorpion swung from a tree and took advantage of the background elements, unlike a traditional side-scrolling fighting game.
Andrew Cunningham
Past MKXthe company announced several games and features that will be exclusive to the PlayStation platform.
The list includes Grim Fandango (remastered), Magicka 2, Broforce, Titan Souls, no hero, And Hotline Miami: Wrong number, among other things. PlayStation users also get unique game add-ons: weapons and armor sets for Destination and for Ultimate Hulk in Disney Infinityfor example. Dead Island 2 even has a 30-day exclusive beta on the PlayStation 4.
Those titles just reflect the already insane amount of game hours that PlayStation fans have logged.
“Nearly 95 percent of PS4s worldwide are connected to the network,” Layden added. “1.25 billion hours are spent gaming on PS4. There are a billion multiplayer sessions, 220 million share buttons captured. That will go even higher when YouTube comes to PS4.”
Sony concluded by demonstrating new PS4 versions of Grand Theft Auto V And Batman: Arkham Knight.