PlayStation 5 owners in the United States just received an upgrade that has nothing to do with games. Sony has officially launched Live TV on PS5, a free streaming feature that brings a guide of always-on television channels directly to the console — and the lineup includes dedicated anime programming from Crunchyroll.
What Exactly Is Live TV on PS5?
Live TV on PS5 transforms the console into something of a modern cable replacement. Rather than opening one streaming app at a time, users can browse a traditional-style channel guide and jump straight into whatever is currently airing. It delivers the lean-back, “flip through the channels” experience of old-school television, but over the internet and built right into the PS5 dashboard.
Free to Watch, Supported by Ads
The best part for owners is the price: nothing. Much like free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platforms such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, Live TV on PS5 is funded by advertising rather than subscription fees. If you already own a PlayStation 5 and live in the US, you can tune in without spending a cent.
Anime Fans Are the Big Winners Here
The headline grabber for the gaming community is the inclusion of Crunchyroll. Sony’s flagship anime streaming service is woven into the Live TV channel lineup, giving PS5 owners access to linear anime content that runs around the clock. Episodes air in scheduled blocks, making it a wonderfully low-effort way to sample series you might never have searched for otherwise — no endless menu scrolling, no decision fatigue. Just press play and see what is on.
A Logical Power Play by Sony
Crunchyroll’s presence is no coincidence. Sony owns both the PlayStation hardware and Crunchyroll, alongside the vast Sony Pictures film and television catalog. Live TV on PS5 effectively lets the company route its own entertainment library straight to tens of millions of living rooms, cutting out the middleman entirely. It is textbook vertical integration, and it hands anime — one of Sony’s fastest-growing entertainment categories — prime placement in front of a young, highly engaged audience.
The PS5 as a Full Entertainment Hub
This move continues Sony’s long-running effort to position the PS5 as the centerpiece of the living room rather than just a game console. With streaming apps, a growing media ecosystem, and now free live channels, the PlayStation 5 is quietly competing with smart TVs and streaming sticks — not just the Xbox Series X|S.
For now, the feature is exclusive to the United States. Whether Sony expands Live TV to Europe, Japan, and other regions remains to be seen, but phased rollouts are standard practice for platform features of this kind, so a wider launch is certainly possible down the road.
How to Start Watching
If you are in the US, simply head to your PS5, make sure your system software is up to date, and look for Live TV on the dashboard. From there, browse the guide, find a channel that catches your eye, and start watching — no subscription, extra hardware, or sign-up fees required.
Final Thoughts
Live TV on PS5 may not be a blockbuster game announcement, but it is a meaningful quality-of-life addition that makes the console more useful every single day. Free anime channels from Crunchyroll sweeten the deal considerably, especially for fans who want background viewing between gaming sessions. Sony keeps finding subtle ways to make the PS5 indispensable, and this is another step in that direction.
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Source: This article is based on reporting by Siliconera.