The PlayStation 5 received an app that, first, isn’t available here and, second, reminds us of something we’ve seen before.

At launch, some of the available entertainment and programming includes movies (free movies across genres such as action, horror, and science fiction, with channels including MovieSphere by Lionsgate, 50 Cent Action, FilmRise Free Movies, Sony One Horror Hits, and Cinevault), TV shows (fan favorites including Community, The Shield, Hell’s Kitchen, The Walking Dead, Forensic Files, Unsolved Mysteries, Deal or No Deal USA, Fear Factor, and Ice Road Truckers from A+E’s History), and anime (including Naruto, Sailor Moon, Hunter x Hunter, Death Note, Black Clover, and Box Sets channels from Crunchyroll).

There is also sports programming from FOX Sports, NASCAR, NBC Sports Now, and UFC, spanning MMA, football, hockey, motorsports, golf, boxing, and soccer; news and weather programming with national, local, and international coverage, including NBC News Now, Fox Weather, and LiveNOW from FOX; creator and specialty programming, including Hot Ones, Spotify’s The Ringer, Futcrunch, The Idle Mode, comedy, action sports, gaming, eSports, and other creator-led content; and additional programming, including gaming and eSports, creator-led entertainment, documentaries, podcasts, and other specialty programming, such as eCLUTCH (exclusive).

The free Live TV on PS5 app is available in the United States and is packed with ads. Between 2013 and 2020, Sony tried something similar with PlayStation Vue. However, Sony criticized the Xbox One in 2013 because Microsoft emphasized during the console’s unveiling that you could watch TV on it. The original plan was that used disc-based games would be worthless.

So Sony has become exactly what it once fought against. If the company keeps up this awful approach, it will lead to the PlayStation 6 getting majorly outcompeted by the Xbox Project Helix, or whatever the desktop console will end up being called.

Source: Gematsu, PS Blog