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The PS4’s new media player is perfect for torrents

The PS4’s new media player is perfect for torrents

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Support for MKV, AVI, and MP4 files available

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Sony is finally adding a dedicated media player app to the PS4, announcing the news via a blog post before its E3 press conference. PS4 users will see the new app's icon appear in their console's content area — they simply select it to download the software from the PS Store. The app supports a number of different file formats, including MKV, AVI, MP4, MPEG3, MP3, and AAC — perfect for handling files that just might have been downloaded from BitTorrent sites.

The PS4 Media Player app in action. (Sony)

For some PlayStation fans, it was always a bit strange that the PS4 didn't launch with a media player, but then again, the console was positioned as a gaming device rather than a media hub. Microsoft's Xbox One, by comparison, added support for various file types including MKV last August, and up till now, the best option for media-hungry PS4 owners has been to use Plex to stream content (for a price). A dedicated app means less fuss: users simply connect their console to their home media server or plug in a USB stick with files on it to play films or music. The perfect way to take a break from all those newly announced games.

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