Sony Interactive Entertainment will launch a dedicated Crunchyroll anime hub on the PlayStation 5 home screen in spring 2027. PlayStation president and CEO Hideaki Nishino announced the upcoming feature at the Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum, aiming to bring anime discovery, streaming access, and related games directly into the console menu.
PlayStation 5 owners will soon find their favorite streaming service front and center on their consoles. Sony announced that a dedicated hub for Crunchyroll will integrate directly into the main menu in spring 2027, bridging the gap between playing games and watching shows.
While users have been able to download the standalone app since the console launched, this upcoming interface update places the platform directly into the home-screen experience. Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Hideaki Nishino revealed the plans during the inaugural Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum, explaining that the new space is built to make it easier for the PlayStation community to explore content.
Hideaki Nishino and Rahul Purini Detail the Partnership at Anime Future Forum
The announcement shows a deeper corporate alignment following Sony's acquisition of the streaming service. Sony-owned Funimation bought the platform for nearly $1.2 billion in 2021, setting the stage for tighter integration across PlayStation hardware.
Executives emphasized that the overlap between gamers and anime fans drove the decision to build the menu hub. Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini pointed to the natural synergy between interactive entertainment and serialized animation during his remarks at the event. At the same event, Sony also unveiled its new Crunchyroll Storyworks division.
“From Crunchyroll membership on PlayStation, to the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime series. Today, we take that partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment one step further with an anime hub on PlayStation,
Serving fans means meeting them where they already are.“Rahul Purini, Crunchyroll President
The new destination aims to bring together anime, anime-inspired games, and easy access to the streaming library for the console’s massive global user base, which surpassed 92 million installed units earlier this year.
Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Adaptation and Expanding Sony Ecosystems
The upcoming menu hub arrives alongside other major transmedia pushes from Sony. PS Productions is actively developing an anime adaptation based on Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, which is slated for release next year. Sony views anime as a primary growth vector as the company accelerates its transition toward broader entertainment markets through subsidiaries like Aniplex. It is currently one of the leading players in the market, as its Sony Music subsidiary also owns Aniplex.
Crunchyroll Discontinues Nintendo Switch App on October 30
While the PlayStation ecosystem tightens its bonds with the anime brand, availability is shifting on competing hardware platforms. Crunchyroll announced that it will discontinue its main app on the Nintendo Switch on October 30. Crunchyroll doesn’t have any announcements to make regarding a potential Nintendo Switch 2 app.
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- India
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
As the spring 2027 release window approaches, exact launch dates and visual mockups for the interface remain under wraps while development continues.