Sony’s high-bitrate movie service is now available on PS5 and PS4

Sony is bringing its own movie streaming service to PlayStation consoles beginning today. Previously known as Bravia Core, the service is being rebranded to Sony Pictures Core as it arrives on the PS5 and PS4. “Once you sign up for Sony Pictures Core, you will be able to buy or rent up to 2,000 movies straight from your console,” Sony’s Evan Stern wrote in a blog post. “At launch, this will include blockbuster hits such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Uncharted, The Equalizer, No Hard Feelings, Bullet Train, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, among others.”

Now, you can rent or buy those movies in any number of places. If you’re wondering why you’d want to use Sony’s service, the answer is video fidelity. As noted on the Bravia Core website, it includes what the company calls Pure Stream, “which can stream HDR movies at up to 80Mbps — similar to 4K UHD Blu-ray — on a wide range of content.” That is a significantly higher bitrate than anything Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Vudu, or other streamers will give you. So, if you’re a stickler for picture quality and have the right TV for it, you should notice greater detail when using Pure Stream. In addition to all that, Sony also claims it has the largest collection of IMAX Enhanced films of any streaming service.

Another potential reason to try Sony Pictures Core is early access: Sony says “you’ll be able to purchase select Sony Pictures films during an exclusive, early access window” before those films reach other digital retailers. This will vary based on what market you’re in. For example, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story is the first early access title in the UK, France, Germany, and Japan, even though it’s already available for rental and purchase in the US.

Last, Sony is going to give PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe members a huge serving of free content to help them get started and become familiar with the service. “You’ll get access to a curated catalog of up to 100 movies through the Sony Pictures Core app to stream on demand from the Sony Pictures library as part of your membership. The catalog, which will be ad-free and updated periodically, features movies such as Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium, and Resident Evil Damnation.” Again, in the fine print, Sony says this selection will change over time and depends on what region you’re in — but free is free. They’re not exactly today’s biggest hits, but who doesn’t like the occasional Looper rewatch?

Sony says Bravia Core is keeping its old name on other platforms for now and will undergo the rebranding next year. But for PlayStation owners, the new version is available today in 23 markets. You can find it in the PS5’s media section or on the PS Store if you’ve got a PS4.