Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Ustream will soon no longer be an option for PlayStation 4 broadcasting

By

sony drops ustream broadcasting support on ps4 2 640x0
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Sony has announced plans to discontinue support for Ustream broadcasts on the PlayStation 4, limiting player options regarding live-streamed gameplay footage.

Currently, Ustream is one of four video-sharing services players can use to stream live footage from the PlayStation 4. While players will still be able to stream via Twitch, YouTube, and Dailymotion, Ustream will cease to function on PlayStation 4 consoles starting in August.

Recommended Videos

“Players can broadcast gameplay via YouTube, Twitch and Dailymotion, and enjoy viewing these broadcasts via Live from PlayStation,” Sony’s support site states. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your understanding.”

The PlayStation 4 is built with live-streaming functionality at its core, allowing users to instantly broadcast their gameplay via a “Share” button on the console’s DualShock 4 controller. Players who purchase the optional PlayStation 4 Camera peripheral can additionally broadcast live video footage and voice-over via microphone input.

Ustream and Twitch were the first two streaming services supported by the PlayStation 4 at launch, with YouTube and Dailymotion compatibility arriving within the console’s first year of release. Sony did not specify a reason behind its discontinuation of Ustream support.

Ustream was previously a preferred option for PlayStation 4 owners who produced gaming-themed talk shows and other live events via the PlayStation 4 Camera-enabled Playroom app. Shortly after the PlayStation 4’s launch in 2013, Twitch banned user accounts streaming Playroom content “because a majority of it was non-gaming related,” according to a Twitch representative. Twitch has since softened its stance on non-gaming material with the launch of Creative and Food categories.

Starting on August 1, users will no longer have the option of streaming or viewing Ustream broadcasts through the “Live from PlayStation” service on the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. Ustream support will also be disabled within the PlayStation App for iOS and Android devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Danny Cowan
Danny Cowan
Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
You can play this 2018 open-world hit for free if you have PlayStation Plus
Arthur Morgan walks into a burning house in Red Dead Redemption 2.

If you somehow haven't played the 2018 open-world classic Red Dead Redemption 2 yet and you have a PlayStation Plus subscription, we have good news. PlayStation announced in a blog post Wednesday that the game will be available for free for the Plus program's Extra and Premium tiers.

Subscribers can play this massive hit, along with 12 other games, starting on May 21.  Users will also get access to Red Dead Online, the game's multiplayer experience that allows players to create their own character and mess around inside the world as they see fit -- from forming a group of outlaws to rob people on the road to hunting animals.

Read more
3 PlayStation Plus games you need to play this weekend (May 10-12)
Miles Morales in Spider-Man outfit fending off crime.

The weekend is here, so you probably want to sit back and relax by playing some video games. If you're subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on PS4 or PS5, then there are tons of fantastic titles to choose from in the subscription service's vast game catalog. It's a lot to sift through, so I've handpicked three titles I think you should check out if you haven't played them already.

One is a superhero game that launched alongside the PS5 and can be beaten within a weekend. The next is an eerie indie Metroidvania that just got added to PS Plus Extra when it launched on May 9. Finally, there's a sequel to a fantastic roguelike (not Hades 2) where you play as a new person in the same family every time you die.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Read more
If you’re not using PlayStation Stars, you’re missing out
Three phone screens with the PlayStation Stars app.

I wouldn't blame you if you forgot PlayStation Stars existed. In fact, I would guess the majority of people out there have no idea what that even is, but PlayStation's reward program deserves more attention than it's getting.

Launched in the summer of 2022, PlayStation Stars is a program meant to reward players for engaging with the PlayStation ecosystem. You can take on challenges to earn digital collectibles and, more importantly, coins that can be redeemed for games, store credit, and some premium in-game currencies.

Read more