At the end of August this year, PlayStation will officially discontinue their movie and TV rentals. As per PlayStation’s official blog, they rationalized the decision in light of shifting consumer demand.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth from PlayStation fans using subscription-based and ad-based entertainment streaming services on our consoles. With this shift in customer behavior, we have decided to no longer offer movie and TV purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store as of August 31, 2021. “
This change highlights a growing trend in media consumption as viewers flock to subscription-based offerings. While the decision was likely an inevitability for PlayStation, many commenters were upset about the thinning content available on their PS4/PS5. When paired with the news that Sony was losing the exclusive rights to many titles, fans are worried that their decision to stick with the platform was made for all the wrong reasons.
Still, Sony was still quick to assure their customers that “[they can] still access movie and TV content they have purchased through PlayStation Store for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and mobile devices.”
This will undoubtedly leave fans wondering where to go when PlayStation-inspired movies and TV shows such as Uncharted or The Last of Us drop. While it previously seemed like a sure thing that these future titles would be available via the PlayStation Store, fans may be forced to reach into their wallets to pay for more subscriptions or rentals.
On the opposite side of the coin, some fans were excited to see PlayStation making a bold move towards changing their platform. While they were cautiously optimistic, they suggested that this could be the first step back towards a completely game-focused era. Only time will tell.
What’s your opinion on the loss of TV and movie services from PlayStation? Are you upset about the changes? Let us know in the comments.
