Did any of the early birds among you stay up the week before last to watch the Tokyo Game Show keynote? If you did, you’ll have seen Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida take to the stage to unveil the new PlayStation App, launching alongside PS4 later this year.
In general terms, the new app allows you to take the PlayStation experience with you when you’re away from your PS4. You can stay in touch with friends, compare Trophies, view friends’ activity (such as recorded or live-streamed gameplay), and access all the latest PlayStation.Blog news.
I caught up with Yoshida immediately after the show, and asked him to expand on exactly what gamers can expect from PlayStation App later this year.
“It’s an application that anyone can download for free on iOS and Android devices,” he explained.
“There are a variety of things you can do with it. You can connect to your PlayStation profile and send messages — even voice messages — to friends between your smartphone and PS4.
“A friend on PS4 can also send out an invitation for a multiplayer game, which you can then check on the App, and you can also purchase PS4 games from PlayStation Store. Your game will immediately start downloading while you’re away.”
PlayStation App will also offer ‘second screen’ gameplay features on enabled titles. For example, during the TGS presentation Yoshida showed how the app interacts with The Playroom — he drew a picture of Knack on his smartphone’s touch screen, and then pushed it into the PS4 game on his TV, allowing the game’s bot characters to play with the item he’d created.
“There are many big publishers creating their own apps for their games, like Watch Dogs or Battlefield, and that’s great,” he added.
“But smaller developers can use PlayStation App to connect to PS4 and load an application, like drawing software for example, so that you don’t have to download and install a specific app on your smartphone. It’s open to all PS4 developers to use.”
We’ll have a more in-depth look at PlayStation App in action nearer launch.
I’ve been waiting for an app like this. They have a lot of trophies app on android already, but none of them are any good. They’ll offer messaging and trophy checking but none it can be sent to a real PS Vita/PS3.. I’m also kind of weary of giving them my PSN information.
I hope this app comes sooner rather than later. Will this app be compatible with the PS Vita as well?
Very excited about all these partnered apps coming out with games and consoles. Excited to see how these advance over this next generation’s years. Can’t wait to see this progress.
Sounds pretty badass to me, accessing PSN from my phone or table, who wouldn’t want that?
Gee, would have loved one for Droid Stateside. But it never materialized.
PS3 that is.
Store – buy PS4 games?
so I guess it’s not a normal store at the App but only for PS4… what about PS3 and Vita?
it’s silly, it should have been a cross-platform store, like the one on the internet – just normal store for all devices
What about the Vita??? why is it always pushed to the corner?
I’ll be getting PS4 day one, regardless, but a Windows Phone 8 and/or PS Vita app would be great! Granted, a companion app is just a nice bonus and not a necessary item to have, but as a Windows Phone user (for PC integration purposes, and bad luck with android devices) I would love to see it added to the list. I notice reading through this articles comments that I am not the only one. Though I do understand that putting it on a direct competitors device may be an issue, it may also be a good thing. Those who prefer/own a Windows Phone would not be left out of the app, and that could be a deciding factor for someone on the fence.
Either way, can’t wait for November 15th! Excited to see the PS4/Vita integration and everything else that’s in store.
I am a Japanese.
In Japan, pre-order of PS4 was started today.
I have already made a pre-order.
Japan is February 22, 2014 release.
Let’s meet on February 22, 2014 :)
Nifty!
Awesome! Looking good :D , can’t wait to use this app on my iPhone 5S :D
Vita please!
I hope my Vita gets this app too :) since I don’t have any smartphone right now…
+ Elvick_ on October 3rd, 2013 at 10:22 am said:
Yes, what about PS Vita?
Also, why aren’t more companion apps coming to PS Vita? Especially the one for Knack? Seems stupid to me that first party related companion apps would skip PS Vita. I know why they’re on mobile, but why force PS Vita owners to go to mobile if we don’t want to?
And yes, while it’s (Knack’s app) is just some puzzle game, it’s still something I’d like to try out… on a platform I actually care about using for game related things.
I agree with you
Please make it for Windows Phone too!!
Hey guys I just created an account for PSN on the computer, so since i now have an account will I be able to put my info into the PS4 when it launches and i can play using this account and gamer-tag?
Excellent! This is a great addition to the ps4 experience!
Will Skype be available for the PS4 system?
I WANT THAT PS4
Why do you need psvita just to download facebook on ps3?
Please have support for Windows Phone! That will let you take people from Microsoft to you and because I signed a two-year contract with AT&T 2 months ago
I use the Lumia 925!
what about the vita? why do people keep saying that lol it can already do this.
WINDOWS PHONE USER HERE! Please make an app for the OS!
Please bring this to windows phone os!
That’s what’s up.