Skip to main content

Sony PlayStation 3 ranks as the most popular Netflix streaming device

Sony Computer Entertainment America didn’t exactly score a knockout three-peat with its PlayStation 3. While the original PlayStation and the subsequent follow-up PlayStation 2 were each the top selling video game console of their respective hardware generation (with the PS2 reaching sales of 154 million) the PS3 has only matched Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in passing about 70 million in sales this past September.

Those numbers are still good enough to make the PS3 the primary development platform for Netflix, as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently announced Sony’s game console is the world’s most popular device for viewing Netflix content.

The PS3 was the first device to offer Netflix in full 1080p video resolution with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. It will also be the only system to use the new “Max” voice interface feature that is in beta tests now.

Sony and Netflix expanded their partnership this year as well by bringing the Netflix experience to Sony’s portable device, the PlayStation Vita in the United States. With it, PlayStation 3 owners can start watching a movie or TV show on Netflix, pause it, and continue watching on PS Vita’s 5-inch high-def OLED screen.

Editors' Recommendations

Peter Suciu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Peter has spent much time plugging and unplugging various A/V equipment over the years as a reviewer, and he is always on the…
PlayStation Vue: The master guide to Sony’s internet TV service
PlayStation Vue gives you a lot of channels — for a hefty price
hbo cinemax come to playstation vue now on ps4 ps3 1

Citing a highly competitive pay-TV landscape, Sony has announced that it is shutting down PlayStation Vue in January, 2020.

What was once one of many options available for the ever-growing tribe of cord-cutters who hate cable but must have live TV, Vue began life on PlayStation gaming consoles, but since then the service has gone through a number of changes. Channels have come and gone and pricing has shifted. But clearly the service hasn't attracted enough users.

Read more
Sony’s PlayStation Vue live TV streaming service shuts down in January
hbo cinemax come to playstation vue now on ps4 ps3 1

PlayStation Vue, Sony's internet-based live TV streaming service, is about to be no more. According to a statement from Sony, PlayStation Vue will shut down on January 30, 2020, ending an almost four-year run.

Sony says its decision to end PlayStation Vue is based on "expensive content and network deals," a marketplace that's been slow to adapt to the rise of live TV streaming, and a desire to focus more on Sony's "core gaming business." PlayStation Vue's closure comes as Sony is prepping for the release of the PlayStation 5, which is expected to arrive in time for the 2020 holiday season.

Read more
Sony wants to sell PlayStation Vue as streaming industry gets more crowded
1084198 autosave v1 2 playstation vue hbo cinemax featured

Sony is said to be looking for a buyer for PlayStation Vue amid an increasingly crowded streaming industry, nearly five years after the internet TV service was launched as one of the first alternatives to traditional cable.

Sony tapped Bank of America Merrill Lynch several months ago to explore a potential sale of PlayStation Vue, which will include the technology and a subscriber base of about 500,000 households, The Information reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Sony is said to have approached at least one potential buyer, namely FuboTV, a sports streaming service, but talks have not advanced, according to one source.

Read more