As more consumers decide to cut the cord, the demand for cable alternatives continues to grow. Next week, PlayStation 4 owners will lose PS Vue as an option, but a new one is now available on the system as an immediate replacement: YouTube TV! The service allows users to stream more than 70 live channels. It's an interesting move on Sony's part, and it seems to be an intentional switch over: the PS Vue page tells players to "please consider YouTube TV as a cable-free live TV alternative." Naturally, PS4 owners won't be able to use the app without paying the $50 subscription fee, but it's nice to see it join the plethora of streaming options available on the system.

Sony made the decision to shutter the service last fall, after attempting (and failing) to find a buyer. Launched in 2015, PS Vue was fairly popular with many PlayStation 4 users, but Sony cited competition and network deals as a reason for bringing an end to the service. The existence of Sony's first party service likely kept cable replacements such as YouTube TV from coming to PS4. With the downfall of Vue, perhaps this will open the door to more live-streaming TV apps coming to PS4 in the future, such as Hulu TV.

It will be interesting to see if more streaming services fall in the next few years. While options like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ remain cheaper than most cable packages, the a la carte model could become unsustainable if too many options continue to crop up. Of course, most households decide to pick-and-choose, with some even canceling and re-subscribing to services as more appealing programming arrives and departs. At the end of the day, however, some platforms simply won't be able to keep up with the continued demand for more content.

PlayStation 4 is not the first console to get YouTube TV. The app has been available to Xbox One customers for some time. At the moment, Nintendo Switch only has the traditional YouTube app, but the handheld hybrid isn't exactly known for offering much in the way of streaming services. Outside of YouTube, Hulu is the only streaming app available on the platform.



Posted: Jan 25, 2020 11:02 am
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/2020/01/22/youtube-tv-playstation-4-vue/