Sony's PlayStation TV Set Top Box Now Available
Sony announced on Tuesday that its PlayStation-themed set-top box is now available in North America. Called PlayStation TV, this device brings PlayStation content to your HDTV such as “hundreds” of games, movies, TV episodes and more offered on the PlayStation Store. The system starts at $99.99.
Sony’s new set-top box measures 2.6 x 4.1 x .5 inches and weighs around 3.9 ounces. The device includes a PlayStation Vita card slot, a memory card slot, one USB port, one HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. The innards are similar to the PlayStation Vita: four Cortex-A9 cores, four PowerVR SGX543MP4-plus GPU cores, 512 MB of RAM, 128 GB of VRAM, and 1 GB of internal storage.
In addition to those specs, the PlayStation TV "mini-console" also includes Wireless N and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connectivity, access to PlayStation Now, and the ability to stream games from the PlayStation 4 via Remote Play. The box is compatible with DualShock 3 and DualShock 4 controllers, as well as the PlayStation Vita.
According to the blog, PlayStation Now is currently available in most areas of the United States and Canada. This game streaming service will launch with popular titles such as Sly Cooper: HD Collection, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault. The PlayStation Now website also mentions Final Fantasy XIII, Dead Island: Riptide, Killzone 3, Darksiders II, and Guacamelee. More than 150 games are coming to the service.
For a complete list of games that are compatible with the set-top-box, head here. The list includes PlayStation Vita games, Vita demos and trials, PSP games, PlayStation One classics, PlayStation Minis, and PlayStation Mobile games.
Will Sony fans buy into the PlayStation TV set-top box? That remains to be seen, but the device is certainly packed with potential. With all those games ready to roll out of the box, and with support for PlayStation Now and Remote Play compatibility with the PlayStation 4, fans of the PlayStation brand should devour this device in no time.
The PlayStation blog also reports that Sony will be selling a PlayStation TV bundle this holiday season that includes the PlayStation TV device, a DualShock 3 controller, a memory card with 8 GB of space, and a voucher to download The Lego Movie Videogame (fun!) for free. This bundle will cost $139.99, whereas the micro-console costs $99.99 by itself.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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nthreem Reply128 GB of Vram, that is a little overboard don't ye think ;)
Nah, it seems like that's the trend for requirements lately. Have you seen the minimum requirements for the next Dragon Age?
"According to the minimum specs, PC gamers will need a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, an AMD quad-core CPU @ 2.5 GHz or an Intel quad-core CPU @ 2.0 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon HD 4870 GPU or a Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT GPU, 512 GB of VRAM, and 26 GB of hard drive space. DirectX 10 also needs to be installed."
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/electronic-arts-dragon-age-inquisition,27869.html
That one needs 512GB of VRAM!!
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Devouringbowl57 Well, I guess my 780 lightning is garbage now since I'm supposed to have 512 gb ram to play a game.Reply -
EastOfEden A simple mistake on the part of the commentators. The GB does not stand for Giga Byte but for Graphics Byte. Which is a very different byte then the usual one.Reply
;) -
airborn824 I was looking to buy thie PSTV but i do now have any PS products. IS it still possible to use as a mini gaming console? I am normally a PC guy but am interested in something cheap for the living room.Reply -
Merry_Blind @airborn824 For some reasons I can't quote you, but whatever.Reply
If you're looking for something cheap for the living room, a Wii U. Depends on what you're looking for, Nintendo consoles are obviously not multimedia machines, and they shouldn't be, but if what you're looking for is a cheap gaming device, the Wii U is amazing. Plus the Internet Browser is very good on it, thanks to the GamePad, and it still has Netflix, and stuff like that.
I game PC and Wii U, and I think it's pretty much the best combo. -
colson79 Reply128 GB of Vram, that is a little overboard don't ye think ;)
Nah, it seems like that's the trend for requirements lately. Have you seen the minimum requirements for the next Dragon Age?
"According to the minimum specs, PC gamers will need a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, an AMD quad-core CPU @ 2.5 GHz or an Intel quad-core CPU @ 2.0 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon HD 4870 GPU or a Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT GPU, 512 GB of VRAM, and 26 GB of hard drive space. DirectX 10 also needs to be installed."
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/electronic-arts-dragon-age-inquisition,27869.html
That one needs 512GB of VRAM!!128 GB of Vram, that is a little overboard don't ye think ;)
I'm sure it is a misprint. It is probably 128 MB of Vram. I know the dragon age quote is a mis print- there official website list minimum requirments of 512 MB of VRAM and 2 GB VRAM for recommended. The new GTX 980 only has 4 GB of VRAM. There isn't a video card you can buy with 512 GB of VRAM