PS3 Gets Amazon Instant Video Streaming App

Sony PlayStation 3 users can now access movies and TV shows from Amazon's Instant Video service on the console.

Amazon and Sony on Tuesday officially launched the Amazon Instant Video app for the PS3. It lets PS3 users buy or rent from Amazon's collection of more than 120,000 TV shows and movies, including new releases such as The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and War Horse and TV shows like Mad Men, Vampire Diaries, and Justified.

This makes the PS3 the first and only video game console system to offer access to Amazon Instant Video content. The PS3's suite of streaming-video services also includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, CinemaNow, Vudu, NHL, MLB.TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, SEC college sports, XOS college sports, and Sony Video Unlimited.

With the new app, Amazon Prime members can also stream thousands of videos and TV shows to their PS3 at no additional cost. A Prime subscription will set you back $79 a year and gives you unlimited access to more than 17,000 TV shows and movies, such as Glee, Downton Abbey, Sons of Anarchy and movies such as Office Space, The Graduate and Brokeback Mountain.

Users can install the app directly from the TV/Video Services category on the XrossMediaBar. It is also available from the PlayStation Store, under the Media & Apps category. Coinciding with the launch of app, Amazon is offering the first episode of more than 100 TV shows for free instant streaming to Prime and non-Prime customers.

"PlayStation 3 is a powerful home entertainment system and is incredibly popular with our customers," Bill Carr, vice president of video and music at Amazon, said in a statement. "Since the launch of Prime Instant Videos one of the top customer requests has been to provide customers with an app for PlayStation 3."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read the latest from Angela Moscaritolo

Read full bio