Spotify app released on PS4

The battle over exclusive apps continues.

by Mark Botwright
Gaming News

5

Spotify app released on PS4
MSRP: £349.00

Intro text

The war over console exclusives now stretches to apps as well as games.

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Hot on the heels of the PS4’s firmware update 2.50, which brought with it the suspend / resume feature for games, yesterday saw the launch of the Spotify app on the machine, a first for consoles.

Available on the PS4 (and PS3), the music streaming app comes to Sony consoles as an exclusive (at least for the time being), being part of the PlayStation Music service that replaced Sony’s Music Unlimited subscription offering, which largely underwhelmed and failed to gain a large following.

The really good news is nothing is locked behind a paywall, so you don’t need to be a subscriber to either Sony’s own PlayStation Plus service (which is necessary for some network features, such as multiplayer gaming) or to Spotify’s own premium paid for variant; it’s free, with the option to upgrade to an ad-less version if you so wish.

Sony PlayStation 4

For an app that’s already pretty ubiquitous this may not seem like a big deal, but the ability to browse millions of tunes, and have them replace the in-game music is a noteworthy feature. Not all PS4 audio will automatically adjust to the presence of Spotify music though, the dashboard does - leaving only the browsing noises - but be prepared to pop into game menus to lower volume levels.

The interface is somewhat streamlined - and very PS4 tile-like - in comparison to the desktop version, simplifying things with large icons that are easily recognised and navigable from the distance of your sofa. Sadly this version scrimps a little on certain niceties, such as an equaliser or custom playlists, though paying subscribers will be able to get the full 320kbps streaming quality.

Sony PlayStation 4

When in-game, you can get basic control of your tunes by holding the PS button, which offers up the most oft-used functions of pause, volume and skipping tracks, but to get better control you’ll need to either suspend your game momentarily - so you can head back to the app - or whip out a smartphone or tablet.

To get the best from it you’ll want the app on a smartphone or tablet (obviously using the same account log-in), which means you’ll be able to connect via bluetooth to the PS4, sync up with what's playing and gain full control over your music without having to pop out of the game.

As the race for exclusive games stalls, amid lacklustre releases and stuttering online functionality, an app exclusive could swing things, particularly for those already paying for a Spotify app and yet to commit to an eighth generation console.
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