PlayStation 4 Can’t Play MP3 Files

The PlayStation 4 can’t play MP3 files and doesn’t have a music visualizer feature, Sony have today revealed. Instead, if you want to play music on your PS4, or if you want to use custom music while playing your games, you’ll need a subscription to Music Unlimited.

This was revealed today in a PS4 FAQ posted to the PlayStation Blog. Underneath other stuff, including available colours and account management, Sony admitted the PlayStation 4 won’t play MP3 files.

Only a single word was used to answer the question – “No” – and no full explanation was given. This is obviously bad news for the millions of people who play MP3 files regularly and were looking forward to using their digital collection on their new console. As a means of boosting subscription to Music Unlimited, this seems rather suspect, although the shortness of the answer probably implies that it’s exactly what you think it is and that this “feature” won’t be fixed or patched in the future.

This is hardly the sort of thing that can make or break a purchase, and Sony know that, but it would have been a nice feature to have and something that would have made the PlayStation 4 even more part of the living room. Having to pay a subscription to do the same thing isn’t going to go down well.