Good news gamers, your Sony PlayStation soundtrack can now be powered by Spotify. The music streaming service announced on Monday that it has completed its previously announced integration with the game system allowing users to play their favorite tracks — Spotify has 30 million to choose from — while tippy-tapping away.
PlayStation Music is available to both free and premium Spotify members and works seamlessly when you open the app on your phone. Gamers can pick songs from Your Music or browse a set of new gaming-centric playlists. It also lets you skip tracks and control volume levels via your phone or tablet.
“Music has always been a big part of gaming,” says Gustav Söderström, chief product officer at Spotify. “I remember playing computer games like Quake and Counter-Strike with my favourite tunes on in the background — taking the experience to a whole new level. With today’s launch, we’re bringing back that magic of gaming with music — all in a beautifully designed and smooth experience that looks great on the big screen.”
An early review by Fast Company gave PlayStation Music a thumbs for its tailored look and dubbed it a “minor plus” in Sony’s battle with Microsoft’s Xbox.
It’s unusual for a streaming service to be tailored to the box it’s running on — Netflix, for instance, is pretty much Netflix almost everywhere — but this is a Spotify that feels both comfortably Spotify-esque and like it’s been customized for PlayStation. It’s at least a minor plus for PlayStation in its never-ending battle against Xbox, which offers Microsoft’s homegrown Xbox Music rather than the on-demand music service that’s practically synonymous with the category.
The launch of Playstation Music brings an unceremonious end to Sony’s Music Unlimited service, which was available in 19 countries. When the Sony/Spotify alliance was announced in January, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admitted to being an avid PlayStation 4 user. “I’m super excited to be able to soundtrack my FIFA 15 Arsenal matches later this spring,” he said. [Billboard]
