Skip to main content

No more weird PS4 Playroom broadcasts on Twitch

weird ps4 playroom broadcasts twitch
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Following a rash of truly bizarre (and possibly illegal) broadcasts on Twitch.tv using the PlayStation 4’s “Playroom” app, the streaming platform will no longer host Playroom content, according to a statement given to Polygon.

It really was just a matter of time, one of those things we should have all seen coming. The PS4’s ability to livestream content simply by pressing a button (and having both a PS4 camera and Twitch or Ustream account) was bound to be abused. Often and early. It’s just human nature. So when reports of people using the Playroom app to show nudity, bad behavior, and, in one instance, a guy in a horse head mask motorboating a woman, we really shouldn’t have been surprised. Nor should we be surprised that Twitch has confirmed that broadcasts like those described above run counter to its Terms of Service and are henceforth verboten.

Recommended Videos

Most PS4 streams prominently display the game being played and allow for just a thumbnail of the actual user. The Playroom app, however, is an augmented reality game, which means the camera would broadcast the user’s real surroundings. One game in the Playroom allows you to interact with small, adorable robots. You can move them around, or you can use the controller to suck them up like a vacuum cleaner, leaving the screen free to broadcast whatever it sees.

One of the more disturbing instances of a Playroom stream came when a man and a woman proceeded to drink alcohol until the woman presumably passed out. The man then undressed her on camera, leaving her completely nude on air.

In response, Twitch has pulled any channels streaming the Playroom app.

“We removed Playroom content from the directory because a majority of it was non-gaming related,” a rep for Twitch told Polygon. “We will look into adding it back as PS4 owners become more familiar with the games-only focus of Twitch content. In the meantime, you can view all of the amazing gameplay from PS4 broadcasters in this directory page on Twitch.”

Update: The article has been updated to correct an error that originally misidentified the name of the show in question.

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
The PS5’s DualSense controller just got a bit more expensive
A DualSense Edge sits in front of a blue backdrop.

If you're looking for a new DualSense controller, you'll have to leave a bit more room in your budget. It seems that Sony has raised the price of most of its DualSense models without an official announcement.

The changes were instead spotted by Wario64, a popular gaming account on X (formerly Twitter), which noticed that the DualSense price has gone up by $5 across multiple online retailers, including PlayStation Direct, Best Buy, and Target. PlayStation has not publicly confirmed the price hike, nor has it released a blog post about the reasons behind it as it has in the past.

Read more
PlayStation sales are down, but more players are using PS Plus
A Pulse Elite, DualSense, and PlayStation Portal sit on a table.

Is console hardware struggling? In its latest financial report released Tuesday, Sony revealed that hardware sales are declining, although that doesn't spell doom for the video game conglomerate.

Hardware sales are down year over year, from 3.3 million to 2.4 million, which finance chief Sadahiko Hayakawa attributes in part to an increase in first-party software sales and the impact of foreign exchange rates. However, those same game releases, along with increased PlayStation Plus subscriptions, meant income was up 12% for games overall. Sony also revealed that PlayStation had clocked 116 million monthly active users during June, which is the highest recorded for this time of year (even though it's down from the 118 million from last quarter).

Read more
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor finally coming to PS4 and Xbox One in September
Cal Kestis wielding his blue lightsaber and carrying BD-1 in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

EA and Respawn Entertainment have revealed that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will come out on September 17. That means players who only own last-gen consoles will be able to try out this excellent action-adventure game that was previously exclusive to PC and current-gen consoles.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and continues the story of Cal Kestis, who stumbles upon a new threat connected to the universe's High Republic era. I gave the game a four-star review when it launched in April 2023, writing that "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still tells a thematically rich, character-driven Jedi tale in one of the most densely packed 3D Metroidvania games I’ve ever played. It’s now the definitive single-player Star Wars experience."

Read more