Sony introduces PS3 cloud-based media storage

Sony’s PS3 console is entering the cloud game.

The company has announced that it will launch a new service called PlayMemories Online, which will give users 5 GB of storage for uploading images and videos.

Those media files can then be accessed, and edited, on the PS3, as well as smartphones, tablets, digital photo frames, or the recently released Playstation Vita.

It’s the latest push by Sony in two efforts – first, it’s in an ever intensifying arms race with the Xbox 360 as the two consoles compete to see who can be the best multimedia platform.

The PS3 already lets users access streaming video through Netflix, Youtube, Vudu, Hulu, CinemaNow, and other services, along with its own proprietary digital download video store.

In addition, the system has access to Sony’s Music Unlimited service as well as a fully functional Internet browser.

The other aspect Sony is trying to push is interoperability of services between the PS3 and other Sony devices. The company recently changed the name of its Playstation Network online service to “Sony Entertainment Network,” to signify that its services can be accessed from a myriad platforms, not just Playstationd evices.

This also smells of a competition with Microsoft, which is unifying all of its online brands like instant messaging, e-mail, and digital services to one centralized “Microsoft Account.”

PlayMemories Online still has some unanswered questions, but Sony said to expect more details to be revealed in the coming months.