With the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One just weeks away, Sony and Microsoft have revealed the starting lineup of entertainment apps for their respective consoles.
As is already the case with the current-generation Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4, there are certain heavy-hitters in the app game that either company would be silly to leave out (cough, cough Netflix). Here are the entertainment apps that both Sony and Microsoft have promised:
- Amazon Instant Video
- Hulu Plus
- Netflix
- Crackle
- Redbox Instant by Verizon
- Vudu
- Twitch (Though Sony did not list Twitch as an official "app" in its announcement this week, representatives from both companies assured NBC News that the service will be available on the PS4.)
For all you PS4 fans out there, here are the apps that will only appear on that Sony console:
- Crunchyroll
- EPIX
- NBA Game Time
- NHL GameCenter LIVE
- YuppTV
- Music and Video Unlimited
As for the Xbox One:
- CWTV
- ESPN
- Fox Now
- FX Now
- HBO Go (listed as "coming soon")
- Machinima
- MUZU TV
- Target Ticket
- TED
- The NFL on Xbox One
- Univision Deportes
- Verizon FiOS TV
As you can see, Microsoft is promising more entertainment apps, which is in line with the company's general Xbox One philosophy of seeing the device as more of an entertainment hub than a singularly focused gaming gadget.
The company is also being vaguer than Sony about which apps will actually be available at launch, however. It even made a point of specifying that the HBO Go app will be "coming soon," without going into detail about when, exactly, it plans to introduce the service to the new console.
Sony's PlayStation 4 will hit the shelves next Friday on Nov. 15. The Xbox One arrives a week later on Nov. 22. Both are in exceedingly short supply.
NBC News will be diving into both of the console's features in the next two weeks, so stay tuned for additional coverage of the PS4 and Xbox One.
Yannick LeJacq is a contributing writer for NBC News who has also covered technology and games for Kill Screen, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq and reach him by email at: Yannick.LeJacq@nbcuni.com
