Sony has hatched an ambitious plan to use its booming PlayStation and gaming business unit to support its other, money-losing efforts such as mobile devices. The company this week warned it would report steep loses in its handset division, which is struggling to sell devices.
Sony’s new plan is to use PlayStation as a hub for entertainment that it can stream to smartphones, tablets, and other devices. Andrew House, chief executive of the game unit, told The Wall Street Journal that it will likely offer its streaming service to non-Sony devices. “A streaming-based approach needs to have a very wide funnel of devices, and that inherently means a broad- and manufacturer-agnostic approach,” said House.
Sony recently unveiled a lineup of new smartphones, including the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact. Both of these devices will be certified to interact with the PlayStation 4, Sony’s current gaming console. Sony said it will launch this streaming service in the U.S. before the end of the year.
