Key features of Microsoft’s new Xbox One console will have to be paid for with an annual subscription.
Gamers will have to pay an Xbox Live fee of £40 a year to gain access to recording and sharking of gameplay videos, using Skype to make video calls, OneGuide to watch TV through their consoles and using a service called SmartMatch that finds gaming opponents.
According to Song Computer Entertainment, game recording and streaming will be free to use on the competing PS4 console.
In June, Sony revealed a change to its previous policy which gave all owners of its PlayStation 3 console access to online multiplayer games. With the PlayStation 4, owners will have to pay £32 a year for a PlayStation Plus account to do the same.
Xbox 360 gamers already need to sign up to the Xbox Live service to gain access to entertainment apps such as Netflix, engage in multiplayer gaming and use Internet Explorer on their console.
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