Shortly after its PlayStation Experience 2015 event in San Francisco this weekend, Sony has released a brand new app called PlayStation Messages, which allows PlayStation 4 owners to chat with their friends on the go. While the standard PlayStation app had built-in messaging functionality, it's been split into its own app like how Facebook did with Facebook Messenger.
The app allows PlayStation Network users to send their friends text, voice and picture messages in addition to stickers of PlayStation game characters like Knack and Uncharted's Nathan Drake. The app also allows for group messaging.
The standard PlayStation app was also updated today with the ability to follow verified users and the removal of the messaging functionality.
PlayStation Messages is a universal app that's available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
"No, get on Playstation"
"No, both of you get on Facebook"
(all over iMessage)
This is not just used to talk to friends, it's used to talk to people who play on PlayStation, talk about games, send a comment about an online game, invite someone to play something with you and find new friends. It works for both friends and people that you just randomly meet online and it shows the message directly on the TV.
As for the split from the original app, I think this is an improvement because the app tried to do too many things and I usually had to wait about a minute before I could start writing a message. This is a lot faster and simpler than before.
Finally a better way of messaging other PS users without having to use the buttons and alphabet layout that's worse than AppleTV. Can now do this between game loading!
I personally don't see this replacing any other messaging software platform, but it's much more useful talking to other PS users than the actual PS3/4 itself, which is an archaic layout and program.
Why do companies keep splitting off messages from main apps.