According to Video Game Chronicle, Sony has announced that it is testing a service called PlayStation Plus Video Pass in Poland for a one-year trial that will enable subscribers to stream movies and TV shows as the company looks to expand its online subscription.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s global services VP Nick Maguire told Polish website Spider’s Web that the service will be a free streaming app available to PS4 and PS5 owners with an active PS Plus subscription. Sony Pictures’ 15 movies and six TV shows will be available on the service, with more coming every three months before the trial ends.
According to Maguire, Sony chose Poland for the test because of specific data. The test would allow Sony to see which titles are most popular and how often PS Plus subscribers use the service. The executive did not say if the service would be expanded to other countries.
Since Sony does not have a direct rival to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, which is a Netflix-like subscription service with access to a large catalog of downloadable games available for download and play, PS Plus Video Pass may be a new way for the company to expand the appeal of its online subscription service outside gaming.
Sony has access to a vast catalog of TV and film, including anime through Funimation and Crunchyroll, which Sony acquired for $1.175 billion from AT&T in December. With the PlayStation Store’s sale and rental of movies and TV shows ending on August 31st, Video Pass may be a viable alternative for PlayStation owners looking to stream movies and shows on their consoles.
