iWorld
2016: Hotstar is Apple TV’s & Voot Google Play’s top app
MUMBAI: Hotstar has appropriated the top spot on amazing iTunes as Apple TV’s app of the year for India 2016. The app was launched on Apple TV in August and the recognition comes on the back of a breakthrough year in which Hotstar continued to lead and disrupt the Indian market place. Indiantelevision.com also reported about a similar recognition in the digital space yesterday. In its year of launch, Viacom18’s video-on demand platform, Voot made it to the prestigious -Best Apps of the year 2016 India list on Google Play.
2016 saw Hotstar introduce a host of new tech features and content proposition for its ever-increasing number of consumers, which currently stands at a whopping 130 million downloads.
“India is the only country in the world where a streaming platform like Hotstar exists where the best TV shows from around the world, movie premieres and live sports are available on a single platform. The Indian consumer today is absolutely at the frontiers of mobile video: no consumer in any other part of the world has access to better options than the Indian consumer. Now, we are setting our sights on shaping the connected TV experience in India,” said Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan.
While innovation on live sports streaming continued to draw fans with the deeply engaging coverage of the Vivo IPL 2016, Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Premier League football and Kabaddi World Cup on Virtual Reality, the entertainment offerings were significantly beefed up when Hotstar launched its premium service in April making the best of international shows available in India alongside their US airing.
The lineup on the premium service includes Emmy award-winning TV shows such as Game of Thrones, The Night Of, Westworld, Veep, and American Crime Story that are all exclusively available in India on Hotstar.
Also Read:
Viacom18’s Voot ranked among 2016’s best apps on Google Play
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
