PlayStation Store will stop selling movies and TV shows on August 31st
Streaming services have reduced the need for purchases and rentals.
You'll have to turn to third-party services if you want to buy or rent videos on your PlayStation later this year. Sony is discontinuing PlayStation Store movie and TV show purchases and rentals on August 31st. The electronics giant feels the "tremendous growth" in subscription and ad-supported streaming services has reduced the need for an in-house purchase and rental option.
Any movies and shows you've purchased will remain available on your PS4, PS5 and mobile devices after the August 31st cutoff, Sony said.
It's not certain how well PlayStation Store movie and show rentals were faring, but there's little doubt they've lost much of their importance since launching in 2008. Streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video now dominate the online video landscape, and those that do want to buy or rent content can use third-party options like the Apple TV app. There just isn't as much incentive to use Sony's store, especially if you have devices that can't use it.
Still, this is unfortunate if you did depend on the PlayStation Store to snag movies and shows while they're still relatively new — the experience won't be quite as seamless as it was before. We doubt this will be enough of an issue to prompt an Xbox exodus, but it is slightly sad to see such a long chapter in PlayStation history come to an end.
