Sony brings Music Unlimited to PlayStation Portable
A subscription to Sony's Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity service is going to get more valuable now that the library of now seven million songs is going to be portable soon.
It was reported recently that Music Unlimited would become available on Sony's portable gaming devices, launching on the PlayStation Portable first followed by the Xperia Play and the NGP later this year. Sony has kept its promise so far as Music Unlimited will be supported on the PSP starting on April 14. Access will arrive in the form of firmware update 6.37.
Pricing for the subscriptions remains the same ($3.99 per month for the basic plan, $9.99 per month for the premium one), and access via PSP will be included like any of the other Sony devices that are already connected to the cloud-based music streaming service.
One of the reasons that Music Unlimited should be looked at as a Netflix for music rather than a competitor for iTunes is that it has been tethered to home entertainment devices and computers at this point. Sure, you get unlimited access to seven million songs, but you can't take them on the road with you.
A PSP isn't exactly the most compact MP3 player when compared to an iPod or a Zune or even a smartphone. Don't forget that you'll still need an Internet connection to access songs. However, this is only the starting point and when it becomes available on more smartphones with both Wi-Fi and 3G/4G service (such as the Xperia Play), Music Unlimited will have a real chance to get competitive with iTunes.
If you're still not sure what Music Unlimited is all about, check out our hands-on review as well as the promo video below:
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