PlayStation Vue Packages & Pricing in 2019: Channel List, DVR, Add-ons

PlayStation Vue

Source: CordCutters (Image credit: CordCutters)

The biggest problem with PlayStation Vue is its name. Not that it's a bad name , per se. Vue is just fine. Catchy, even. It's that PlayStation bit that tends to throw people off.

So let us be perfectly clear: You do not need a PlayStation console to subscribe to, watch and enjoy PlayStation Vue.

You do, however, need to have the desire to have access to all the live TV you could ever possibly watch.

And with that — here's everything you need to know about PlayStation Vue:

  • What is PlayStation Vue?
  • How to subscribe to PlayStation Vue
  • PlayStation Vue plans and pricing
  • What channels are on PlayStation Vue?
  • PlayStation Vue add-on "extras"
  • Premium channels on PlayStation Vue
  • Does PlayStation Vue stream in 4K?

What is PlayStation Vue?

PlayStation Vue is the longtime multichannel video programming distributor owned by Sony that, in fact, does not require you to own a PlayStation gaming console.

What's a multichannel video programming distributor, you ask? It's a service that lets you watch all kinds of video channels. That's it. It's just like cable, or satellite TV. Only different.

PlayStation Vue pretty much has all the same channels available everywhere else — and a few extras as well. It also has a healthy stable of premium offerings, a cloud-based DVR (as in anything you "record" will be "saved" virtually by PlayStation Vue somewhere, and the ability to watch on more than one screen at a time. (In fact, you can watch on up to five devices at the same time before it'll balk at you.)

There's one minor headache here in that you're only allowed to have five devices activated with PSVue at any one time. Actually — at first it's just three. One of those can be designated a "Home" device. And once that's set, you'll get two more for the total of five. You can use your PSVue account outside of your home network, too, but only on up to three devices.

PlayStation Vue Plans and Pricing

PlayStation Vue has four plans from which you'll choose. They are:

  • Access ($50): This is the most basic package you can get with PlayStation Vue. You get 45 channels, from AMC to CNN and Fox News, to ESPN and Disney, and more.
  • Core ($55): This package adds in sports channels like MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, and regional sports. You'll also get the Cooking Channel and additional movie channels.
  • Elite ($65): This'll get you BBC World News and a bunch of movie channels (including some great bad movies on demand) that you never knew existed.
  • Ultra ($85): This is everything in the Elite package, but with HBO and Showtime (east and west for both) added in. And that's not a bad deal at $10 each per month, which both of them costing more if you were to get them separately. You'll also have access to the Showtime Anytime app, And HBO Now apps.

How to subscribe to PlayStation Vue

Subscribing to PlayStation Vue is pretty much the sam process as subscribing to any other service. Here' how to do it:

  1. Visit PlayStationVue.com in your favorite web browser.
  2. Click on "Start Free Trial."
  3. Enter your ZIP code. (So PlayStation Vue knows what local channels to feed you.)
  4. Pick your plan. (The three least-expensive plans all come with free five-day trials.)
  5. Pick your premium channels.
  6. Enter your PlayStation ID, or create a new one.
  7. Enter your credit card information
  8. Activate your devices with PS Vue — you'll have up to five.

What channels are on PlayStation Vue?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Access ($50) Core ($55) Elite ($65) Ultra ($85)
ABC x x x x
CBS x x x x
Fox x x x x
NBC x x x x
AMC x x x x
AHC Row 5 - Cell 1 Row 5 - Cell 2 x x
Animal Planet x x x x
ACC Network Row 7 - Cell 1 x x x
BabyFirst x x x x
BabyTV Row 9 - Cell 1 Row 9 - Cell 2 x x
BBC America x x x x
BBC World News Row 11 - Cell 1 Row 11 - Cell 2 x x
beIN Sports Row 12 - Cell 1 x x x
Boomerang Row 13 - Cell 1 Row 13 - Cell 2 x x
Bravo x x x x
Big Ten Network Row 15 - Cell 1 x x x
Cartoon Network x x x x
CBS Sports Row 17 - Cell 1 x x x
Cheddar Business x x x x
Cheddar News Row 19 - Cell 1 Row 19 - Cell 2 x x
CNBC x x x x
CNBC World Row 21 - Cell 1 Row 21 - Cell 2 x x
CNN x x x x
Comet Row 23 - Cell 1 x x x
Cooking Channel Row 24 - Cell 1 x x x
Cozi x x x x
Destination America x x x x
Discovery x x x x
Discovery Family Row 28 - Cell 1 Row 28 - Cell 2 x x
Discovery Life Row 29 - Cell 1 Row 29 - Cell 2 x x
Disney Channel x x x x
Disney Jr. x x x x
Disney XD x x x x
DIY Row 33 - Cell 1 x x x
E! x x x x
EPIX Row 35 - Cell 1 Row 35 - Cell 2 x x
ESPN x x x x
ESPN College Extra Row 37 - Cell 1 x x x
ESPN Deportes Row 38 - Cell 1 Row 38 - Cell 2 x x
ESPN2 x x x x
ESPNews Row 40 - Cell 1 x x x
ESPNU Row 41 - Cell 1 x x x
Food Network x x x x
Fox Business x x x x
Fox Deportes Row 44 - Cell 1 Row 44 - Cell 2 x x
Fox News x x x x
Freeform x x x x
FS1 x x x x
FS2 x x x x
Fusion Row 49 - Cell 1 Row 49 - Cell 2 x x
FX x x x x
FXM Row 51 - Cell 1 Row 51 - Cell 2 x x
FXX x x x x
Golf Channel Row 53 - Cell 1 x x x
Hallmark Channel Row 54 - Cell 1 x x x
Hallmark Drama Row 55 - Cell 1 Row 55 - Cell 2 x x
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Row 56 - Cell 1 Row 56 - Cell 2 x x
HBO Row 57 - Cell 1 Row 57 - Cell 2 Row 57 - Cell 3 x
HGTV x x x x
HLN x x x x
IFC Row 60 - Cell 1 x x x
Investigation Discovery x x x x
Law & Crime Row 62 - Cell 1 x x x
MLB Network Row 63 - Cell 1 x x x
MotorTrend Row 64 - Cell 1 Row 64 - Cell 2 x x
MSNBC x x x x
Nat Geo Wild Row 66 - Cell 1 x x x
Net Geo x x x x
NBA TV Row 68 - Cell 1 x x x
NBCSN x x x x
NFL Network Row 70 - Cell 1 x x x
NHL Network Row 71 - Cell 1 x x x
Olympic Channel Row 72 - Cell 1 x x x
OWN x x x x
Oxygen x x x x
Playstation Emerging Filmakers Program x x x x
Pop Row 76 - Cell 1 x x x
PS Vue Spotlight x x x x
SCI x x x x
SEC Network Row 79 - Cell 1 x x x
Showtime Row 80 - Cell 1 Row 80 - Cell 2 Row 80 - Cell 3 x
Smithsonian Channel Row 81 - Cell 1 x x x
Sony Row 82 - Cell 1 Row 82 - Cell 2 x x
Stadium Row 83 - Cell 1 Row 83 - Cell 2 x x
StartTV x x x x
Sundance TV Row 85 - Cell 1 x x x
SYFY x x x x
Tastemade Row 87 - Cell 1 x x x
TBS x x x x
Telemundo x x x x
Tennis Channel Row 90 - Cell 1 x x x
TLC x x x x
TNT x x x x
Travel Channel x x x x
truTV x x x x
TCM Row 95 - Cell 1 x x x
Universal Kids Row 96 - Cell 1 Row 96 - Cell 2 x x
USA x x x x
WE TV x x x x

What extras are available on PlayStation Vue?

Sports Pack

This requires the Core plan on higher. For $10 a month, you'll get:

  • NFL RedZone
  • MLB Network Strike Zone
  • ESPN Goal Line
  • ESPN Bases Loaded
  • ESPN Classic
  • beIN Sports en Español
  • FOX College Sports Atlantic
  • FOX College Sports Central
  • FOX College Sports Pacific
  • Longhorn Network
  • Eleven Sports
  • GINX eSports TV
  • Outside TV
  • 16 regional FOX sports networks
  • 7 regional NBC Sports networks
  • 3 Stadium channels.

Español Pack

This Spanish-language pack requires the Access plan or better. For $4.99 a month you'll get:

  • Baby TV
  • beIN Sports en Español
  • CINE SONY
  • CNN Español
  • Discovery en Español
  • Discovery Familia
  • FOX Deportes
  • FOX Life
  • Nat Geo Mundo
  • Universo

Premium Pack

For $13.99 a month you'll get EPIX Hits and Showtime. (PlayStation Plus customers will save $2 a month.)

What premium channels does PlayStation Vue have?

In addition to the bundled extras, there are a number of premium channels available a la carte on PlayStation Vue. They are:

  • HBO ($15 a month)
  • Cinemax ($15 a month)
  • HBO + Cinemax ($21.99 a month, $19.99 with PlayStation Plus)
  • Showtime ($10.99 a month, $8.99 with PlayStation Plus)
  • EPIX Hits ($3.99 a month, $2.99 with PlayStation Plus)
  • EPIX Hits + Showtime ($13.99 a month, $11.49 with PlayStation Plus)
  • Curiosity Stream ($2.99)
  • Fox Soccer Plus ($14.99 a month)
  • Hi-Yah ($2.99 a month, $1.99 with PlayStation Plus)

Does PlayStation Vue stream in 4K?

Not so much. While there's a really good chance whatever device you're watching on will upscale things to 4K resolution, don't expect native 4K content on PlayStation Vue.

You can, however, often use your PlayStation Vue login to get 4K content on other OTT services, like how Fox Sports is showing football in 4K, so long as you have a subscription somewhere.