Sony’s Bravia Core app and service is being rebranded as Sony Pictures Core. The rent/buy/stream service has also now made its way to Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles.
For those unfamiliar with Bravia Core, it is Sony’s first-party digital shop and streaming service and, so far, has remained exclusively available on Sony’s Bravia TVs and Xperia smartphones. In addition to purchasing and rental movies, and watching additional behind-the-scenes and exclusive content, Bravia Core users can also stream a number of titles for free.
Further adding to its appeal is Sony’s emphasis on higher quality streaming. For example, those without a compatible device are able to stream movies in IMAX Enhanced mode. This is also in addition to Pure Stream, a lossless 4K UHD picture mode that enables streaming at up to 80 Mbps.
Starting today, the new Sony Pictures app is available on PS4 and PS5 consoles in 23 markets globally, and can be accessed through the Media section on PS5 consoles and the PS Store for PS4 users. Once PlayStation users sign up to the app, they will also gain the ability to buy and rent up to 2,000 movies from their console.
One of the added benefits of being a Sony Pictures Core user, is the ability to purchase select Sony Pictures movies during an exclusive, early access window. For example, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story is currently available through Sony Pictures Core in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
As this is an IMAX Enhanced movie, PS5 and PS4 users can benefit from a premium viewing experience.
Similar to how Bravia TV owners have access to a number of titles available to stream at no cost, Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members now also have access to a curated on-demand library of up to 100 movies that they can stream for free as part of their membership.
With Sony Pictures Core now launching on PlayStation, Sony also confirmed that the existing Bravia Core app on Bravia TVs and Xperia phones will be rebranded as Sony Pictures Core sometime next year.
While Sony didn’t touch on the reasoning for the rebrand, considering the app was available on Xperia devices, and is now available on PlayStation consoles, it makes sense for the app to no longer go under the Bravia name.
