Sky to remove free access to Sky Go on games consoles

Sky has revealed that it'll no longer offer free access to its Sky Go service through games consoles with effect from July 29th, instead forcing users to sign up to its premium Sky Go Extra service.

That means you'll have to splash out £5 a month – though a free two-month trial is currently on offer for Sky customers – if you want to view programmes such as Game of Thrones on consoles.

MORE: Sky Go Extra download service goes live, costs £5/month

The company has been writing to customers likely to be affected by the changes, with the move coming barely two months after Sky announced Sky Go would be coming to the PS4 this summer.

It also comes a few weeks after Microsoft announced that a number of entertainment apps on Xbox can now be accessed without the need for an Xbox Live Gold membership.

Sky Go Extra is described as the service that "takes Sky Go one step forward", letting you download TV programmes, movies and more – depending on your subscription – for offline viewing.

You can also register up to four compatible devices, which is double the number currently allowed with the standard Sky Go service. Those devices include smartphones, tablets and consoles.

MORE: PlayStation 4 vs. Xbox One – comparison

by Pete Hayman

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Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.