Plex for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gets updated, is now free

By Kris Wouk December 18, 2015

plex-ps4 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Plex is one of our favorite options for managing and streaming media, and the variety of platforms the software is available on continues to expand. Late last year, a Plex app arrived on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, followed by PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 apps in January of this year.

The apps themselves were great, but some potential users were put off by the requirement of a Plex Pass subscription, which goes for $5 per month. There are plenty of other benefits to Plex Pass, but if you’ve never used the software before, it’s hard to tell if it will actually be worth it to you.

Starting this week, that is no longer a problem, as the most recent update to the Plex app on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Xbox One removes the Plex Pass requirement, making the app absolutely free to use. The Xbox 360 app dropped the requirement earlier this year.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been using Plex for a while, as it’s a fairly common practice for new versions of the app to only be available to Plex Pass subscribers in early access form, going free once the app is polished and bug-free. An updated version of the app on the Roku had the same requirement before going free for all in August.

The update also brings several bug fixes and enhancements to the app. The Xbox One app has added screen dimming to help plasma screen owners protect their TVs, and now displays a Continue Watching option on the home screen. Meanwhile, PlayStation users can now mark seasons or even entire shows as watched or unwatched directly from their console.

To actually use Plex on your console, you’ll also need to be running Plex Media Server on your PC or NAS. If that sounds daunting, don’t worry: we’ve got a guide on how to set up and use Plex that should help you get started.

For more info, see the release notes for the PlayStation and Xbox versions of the app on the Plex forums.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Gaming

Here’s how to get your PlayStation 2023 wrap-up

Every year, PlayStation lets you take a look back at your year of gaming on its platform. You'll get stats like number of hours played, top played games, trophies earned, and more. While you are free to get your stats right now, they will continue to be updated until January 12, 2024, so you can get the full picture of your year. What's new this time around is the addition of digital cards you can view and share with your friends that highlight some of your most impressive stats, as well as a free avatar and PlayStation Stars digital collectible. Here's how to get yours today.
Your PlayStation 2023 wrap-up

To get your own personalized PlayStation wrap-up, simply head to Sony's wrapup web page and sign in to your PlayStation Network account. If you would prefer, you can also opt to use this link to have Sony email you a breakdown directly. In either case, you may have to be patient when trying to access your stats since it seems like the servers are having trouble keeping up with the number of people attempting to access it at once.

Gaming

PlayStation Plus is the perfect stocking stuffer for RPG fans this year

Yuffie holding three materia in FF7 Remake Intergrade.

I thought I had my fill of gaming subscription services. PlayStation Plus's price increase turned me off and the offerings of Xbox Game Pass never fit my fancy. While both of these have their positives, I've never been one to just drop so much money every month for a bunch of games I don't really care about. That was until I jumped into my yearly Christmas-time RPG mood and discovered the bounty of classics that's built up on PS Plus.

The First 11 Minutes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Gameplay - 60 FPS Performance Mode

Gaming

You only have one week left to share PlayStation clips and screenshots to X

Two versions of the PS5 next to each other.

A notification some users received on PS4 and PS5 confirms that the platforms' integration with X -- the social media platform formally known as Twitter -- will go away next week. That means you'll no longer be able to quickly share screenshots or videos to X from the console.
"As of November 13, 2023, integration with X (formerly known as Twitter) will no longer function on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles," the notification (as screenshotted by Wario64) states. "This includes the ability to view any content published on X on PS5/PS4, and the ability to post and view content, trophies, and other gameplay-related activities on X directly from PS5/PS5 (or link an X account to do so)."

Since the release of the PS4, people have been able to share screenshots and videos taken with the controller's Share button with social media services. Twitter historically was one of those platforms, but API changes following Elon Musk's buying of the platform and rebranding to X have interfered with its integration with many platforms. Now, it seems that Sony has decided that it's best just to rid PlayStation platforms of any X integration whatsoever. PlayStation has not publicly commented on why it's removing this feature yet, but we've contacted them for comment and will update this story when we get a response.
If there are any screenshots or videos on your PS4 or PS5 that you want to get onto X, you have until November 13 to do so. After that, Apple, Discord, Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube will be the only services one can link their PlayStation account to.