Best PlayStation Vue Alternatives: Sony’s PlayStation console should be fine without an introduction if you’re a seasoned gamer and haven’t participated in the seemingly endless console vs. PC discussion. With a PlayStation console (at least a PS4 or PS5), you can do many things besides play video games, like watch movies, listen to music, and even use streaming services.
Not too long ago, you could have used PlayStation Vue to view live television on your PlayStation system. If you weren’t utilizing a method of hiding your online identity, such as a VPN, you couldn’t use this service because it was only available in the US.
But as of January 30, 2020, PlayStation Vue was discontinued by Sony, and the company has no plans to go back on that decision any time soon. If you are a frequent user of Vue, things could feel difficult right now, but we can promise you that various services can replace it and meet your needs better.
What exactly is PlayStation Vue?
Sony owned PlayStation Vue, a US-based television streaming service. Since it was first introduced on March 18, 2015, it has been around for a while. Millions of users had used it before Sony shut it entirely down at the end of October 2019 and eventually did so in January 2020.
The platform wasn’t your typical TV streaming service because it incorporated several features. In other words, PlayStation Vue allows you to stream movies, TV shows, and even sporting events to any compatible device (Smart TVs, apps, digital media players, and your PlayStation console) without a cable or satellite TV subscription. The service also included on-demand video and cloud-based DVR.
What are alternatives there to PlayStation Vue?
Since PlayStation Vue was discontinued, many former users have been left wondering when it would reopen or what they can use in its place. Based on Sony’s decision, we can conclude that PlayStation Vue won’t return anytime soon. Still, fortunately, there are plenty of options that we can use in its place.
In place of PlayStation Vue, you can use several TV streaming services, but not all of them support PlayStation. Or, even better, the PlayStation system might not accept them, so you’d need to use a different gadget to stream their content to your TV. Nevertheless, some streaming services continue to offer apps for your PS4, PS5, and other consoles.
Top 12 Best PlayStation Vue Alternatives
We have compiled the Top 12 Best PlayStation Vue Alternatives. Let’s look at the list that is provided below.
1. AT&T TV
When it was DirecTV Now, AT&T TV was a comprehensive live TV streaming service. It provides several plans with different prices and content. You can watch material from ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and A&E on its most basic, least expensive plan, but if you’re a sports enthusiast, you can upgrade to a better plan. Every channel offers cloud-based DVR storage. A 35-channel, less expensive option called WatchTV is available with a 7-day trial.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.att.com/deals/internet-tv/
2. Hulu
Few people know that you can use Hulu to experience live TV streaming without additional equipment in your home, like cables, satellite dishes, or media boxes. Hulu is mainly recognized as a Video-On-Demand (VOD) service. The live TV option, however, is available as a separate package and is significantly more expensive than the VOD options. You can utilize the 7-day free trial to determine whether the product meets your needs.
WEBSITE URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hulu.plus&hl=en&gl=US
3. BBC iPlayer
Since you can use BBC iPlayer without paying or creating an account, it’s a free alternative to PlayStation Vue. The drawback is that only people who reside in the UK can access it. Furthermore, only a few BBC channels are available on this site, severely restricting the live TV portion. However, many well-known films are in the VOD library, including Sherlock and Top Gear.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
4. YouTube TV
With YouTube TV, you can watch more than 70 live TV channels without having to deal with adding additional gear to your home. With YouTube TV, you can stream content simultaneously to up to three devices using the same account, and you can take advantage of unlimited cloud DVR storage that retains your recordings for up to nine months. The fact that it is only offered in the US is a drawback.
WEBSITE URL: https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/
5. Crackle
Since you may access the content in Crackle’s library without creating an account or paying any money, it is a free alternative to PlayStation Vue. You should, however, be prepared for quite a few advertisements and commercials when streaming on Crackle, just like with many other free sites. Unfortunately, this service is only offered in the US, but you can easily overcome unjust territorial limitations by using a VPN.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.crackle.com/movies
6. Sling TV
Sling TV offers very affordable prices for the plans it promotes, making it one of the less expensive alternatives to PlayStation Vue (apart from the free ones in this guide). Each package is customized to meet your needs, comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR, and is free from obligations (i.e., one plan is more fit for news and entertainment, while the other is for sports and families).
WEBSITE URL: https://www.sling.com/geo-block/index.html
7. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is yet another no-cost PlayStation Vue substitute that made our list. You may view thousands of on-demand titles like movies, dramas, reality shows, and TV series in addition to over 250 live TV channels for free. Pluto TV does not need you to enter your credit card information or use any other kind of payment, much alone create an account. It’s only accessible in the US, but you can view it from anywhere with a VPN.
WEBSITE URL: https://static-homepage-en.pluto.tv/coming-soon
8. Philo
After two seniors at Harvard used a makeshift satellite dish made of aluminum foil to receive live TV, Philo was developed as an experiment. This service offers limitless cloud DVR use (with restrictions, of course), live and on-demand TV content, and a seven-day trial, so you may test the service’s functionality before deciding whether or not to commit to buying a monthly plan.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.philo.com
9. Tubi TV
You may watch thousands of movies and TV series on Tubi TV for free without a subscription. Sadly, Tubi TV doesn’t offer a live TV streaming feature, but you may overlook that, given that it is free to use. If you want to keep track of the movies you’ve previously seen and better organize your content, you may establish an account. Although advertisements sponsor the service, its official website claims it shows fewer of them than live TV.
WEBSITE URL: https://tubitv.com/
10. USTVNow
A streaming service called USTVNow was created especially for American citizens who no longer reside in the country and US military personnel serving abroad. USTVNow is a US-based service. However, if you don’t already have a cable subscription from one of USTVNow’s partners, you can’t access it from the US. You can access USTVNow from abroad if you are an American citizen with a valid passport or a legal resident with a green card.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.ustvnow.com/
11. TVPlayer
A live TV streaming service called TVPlayer provides paid and unpaid live broadcasts. It is only accessible if you are currently in the UK or have a reliable VPN that you can use to connect to a UK server because it is hosted in the UK. After a free trial period of one month, the premium live TV streaming subscription costs 6.99 GBP per month.
WEBSITE URL: https://tvplayer.com/lp/fr/tvplayer-homepage-fr?visitToken=AAABjf3cJGJqYYjG8kjPyPyj
12. FuboTV
A streaming service called FuboTV was created to meet the demands of sports enthusiasts all around the world. The creators of FuboTV appear to have paid particular attention to sporting events because you can stream them in 4K quality, even though you may use it to stream various leisure channels. Each plan includes free cloud DVR space. However, the exact quantity depends on the subscription package you selected.
WEBSITE URL: https://www.fubo.tv
Conclusion:
In light of this, if you’ve ever moaned in thought about how unjust it was that PlayStation Vue was seemingly abruptly discontinued, keep in mind that there are many alternatives you can easily substitute it with. Sure, your console might not support them, and you might need to install or use them on a different device, but PlayStation Vue also functions on several other platforms.
You can find many platforms where you can watch Video-On-Demand content, such as movies or TV shows, and some even offer free live TV streaming, provided that you live in a supported country. Our guide includes premium services that typically pack more channels, fewer ads, and more features.
If one of the abovementioned services seems unavailable in your country, it most likely isn’t. However, you might get around all of these unfair geographic restrictions by downloading a VPN on your device and connecting to a server situated in one of the supported nations.