Sony has announced it is launching its own new movie app, “Sony Pictures Core,” and it’s available today on PS5 and PS4 consoles. Sony is also going to be rebranding its existing movie service, Bravia Core, to “Sony Pictures Core” next year. Bravia Core is currently only available on Bravia TVs and select Xperia devices.

The new Sony Pictures Core app will allow PlayStation users to buy or rent up to 2,000 movies straight from your console. At launch, this will include blockbuster hits such as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, “Uncharted”, “The Equalizer”, “No Hard Feelings”, “Bullet Train”, and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, among others.   It’s also worth noting that Sony already has a licensing deal for many of its films with other streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu, so many of these films available on the new service likely won’t be exclusive to the new platform.

The new app will also allow users to purchase select Sony Pictures films during an exclusive, early access window – straight from your console. In select markets such as the U.K., France, Germany, and Japan, the first film with early access will be “Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story”. The film is currently available through Sony Pictures Core in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and will premiere soon in additional markets. With the purchase of this movie through Sony Pictures Core, you’ll receive credit towards an in-game purchase in GT7, including cars featured in the movie. The film is also IMAX Enhanced, delivering an elevated viewing experience with signature picture quality on PS5 and PS4 right in your living room.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe member, you’ll get access to a curated catalogue of up to 100 movies through the Sony Pictures Core app to stream on demand from the Sony Pictures library as part of your membership. The catalogue, which will be ad-free and updated periodically, features movies such as “Looper”, “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV”, “Elysium”, and “Resident Evil Damnation”. There will also be additional benefits for all PlayStation Plus members.

Including a free tier of the new streaming service within Sony’s gaming streaming service, PS Plus, will no doubt help increase the reach and provide existing members additional value.

Sony Pictures Core is available starting today for PlayStation players in 23 markets globally. You can find the Sony Pictures Core app in the Media section on PS5 and on the PS Store for PS4.

Sony has generally been staying out of the streaming wars, instead selling content to other streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.  You also used to be able to buy and rent films and shows through the PlayStation Store, but that was shut down a few years ago.  With hundreds of millions of PlayStation devices in homes around the world, offering films directly through these devices will no doubt reach a much bigger audience than just Bravia TVs.    And with so many different streaming services around, will people be willing to sign up to another one, but as part of PS Plus, it might help give them an advantage over Microsoft, which is also growing out its own gaming platform Game Pass.

But will this streaming platform take off, and will you be checking out the “Sony Pictures Core” streaming service?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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