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PS4 Gameplay Capture Through External Devices Unclear, Sony 'Considering Every Possibility'

We have known for some time that the Xbox One will support gameplay capture on external devices through HDMI (in addition to features baked into the consoles). Sony, on the other hand, has been quiet on the issue. It's been a source of concern for YouTube personalities, and a new comment from Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's worldwide studios indicates an answer might be coming soon.

Video capture on the PlayStation 3 is only possible by using the AV port or stripping HDCP from the HDMI signal (a process that isn't legal). The PlayStation 4 doesn't have an AV port, though. The Share button is currently only confirmed for Twitch and uStream, and it's unclear how fully featured that is. Subscriptions, donations, branding, and other Twitch features haven't been discussed yet, for instance.

This has prompted a number of questions that Sony hasn't yet been willing to answer. While we don't have a definitive response, Yoshida has tweeted that the company is looking into the concerns.

We've reached out to Sony to get a clearer understanding of the company's plans related to gameplay capture via HDMI on the PlayStation 4. The company has, as of yet, declined to comment.


Our Take
A recent YouTube white paper evidences the growth of videogame content on the service. Should Sony opt to exclude external capture devices, which will still provide the best solution for capturing, curating, and posting monetized content, the company is ceding a segment of gamers to Microsoft.

With those YouTubers comes more visual impressions for the Xbox versions of multi-platform titles. Even if the hosts don't point out which console they are playing on, the button prompts and other UI features will be a constant reminder that the kind of content viewers flock to is only available on one platform… unless Sony decides to change course.

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