Sony announced at E3 yesterday that it would soon be launching its PlayStation TV hardware. Formerly known as PlayStation Vita TV, the hardware will be available in the US and EU this Autumn and will come in two bundled packages. The first will cost $99 and will give you just the PlayStation TV itself, whereas the second, more expensive collection will cost $140 and will include a DualShock 3 controller, Lego Movie the game, an HDMI cable and a memory card.
Designed as a small set-top box for streaming, as well as basic game playing, the PlayStation TV offers a companion tool for PS4 owners, or a simple introduction to the platform for those that don't.
The PSTV will give you the ability to stream content to another TV in your home, straight from your PlayStation 4 - be that a game or a movie - much like the Wii U with its Gamepad. You'll also get access to a library of Vita games to play straight through the box itself. PSP games will also be accessible, giving the system a very large library of games to draw from.
In terms of internal hardware, the box has 1GB of memory, support for 720p and 1080i video, Bluetooth connectivity, along with WiFi n and Ethernet.
Having been trialled in Japan for the past six months, the system over there also allows you to stream movies straight from Sony's library, as well as popular sources like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Youtube and a bunch of others.
Launching this really throws the gauntlet down at not only the likes of Nintendo, but potential new industry disrupters like Ouya, which are comparatively priced and have a much less impressive library than this will when launched.