It's official: Netflix streaming coming to the PlayStation 3

Sorry, Xbox 360 owners—as of next month, you'll have to find something else to tease PS3 gamers about.

Sony and Netflix have announced that starting next month, the PlayStation 3 will get access to thousands of streaming movies and TV shows via Netflix's "Watch Instantly" service.

No word on exactly when Netflix will pull the switch on video streaming for the PS3, and in an odd twist, PS3 users will need to load an "instant streaming disc" into the console's Blu-ray drive whenever they want to use the service.

That's a bit odd, given that Xbox 360 owners (who've had Netflix streaming for almost a year now) can access Netflix without inserting a disc. The good news, though, is that the Sony/Netflix press release reads that the disc will only be needed "initially"—implying that eventually, you'll be able to ditch the disc at some point (perhaps after a software upgrade, speculates the New York Times).

In any case, you can reserve your Netflix "instant streaming disc" for the PS3 right here on the Netflix Web site; the disc will ship "upon availability," according to the site.

As always, Netflix streaming on the PS3 will be available free to all Netflix subscribers (subscriptions start at $8.99 a month), and at last count, more than 17,000 instant movies and TV shows were available, with a few hundred in HD.

The deal means that the Xbox 360 is no longer the only game console with Netflix streaming abilities, although both PS3 and Nintendo Wii gamers could use the PlayOn plug-in to access Netflix, albeit unofficially.

The news also means that Microsoft's exclusive deal for Netflix streaming on the Xbox 360 must have come to an end ... and that means that the door is open for an official Netflix player on the Wii, as well as the PS3. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Related:
Netflix Coming Soon to PlayStation 3 [PlayStation.Blog]