Sony to integrate Discord into PlayStation chat

Brad Norton
PlayStation Discord announcement

Sony has announced a brand new partnership with Discord, but when will the popular communication app make its way to PlayStation consoles? Here’s everything we know.

Just weeks after rumors surfaced that Microsoft was in talks of acquiring Discord for north of $10 billion, Sony flipped the script and announced its very own partnership with the communication service on May 3.

Console gamers will soon be connected to Discord through the PlayStation Network thanks to the new deal. Beyond the surprise announcement, however, details remain scarce as to exactly what fans can expect.

When will the services integrate and how will it all work across PlayStation hardware? Here’s an overview of everything we know about the partnership.

When will Discord arrive on PlayStation?

PlayStation 5 homescreen
Discord could soon appear as an app on your PlayStation home screen.

While the partnership between PlayStation and Discord was announced early into 2021, we’re still quite a ways off from the integration truly kicking off.

There’s no telling exactly how the rollout might look just yet. One thing we do know one thing for certain though: early 2022 is the current target.

“Our goal is to bring the Discord and PlayStation experiences closer together on console and mobile starting early next year,” PlayStation President and CEO Jim Ryan confirmed.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that full Discord functionality will be available all at once. Certain platforms may integrate sooner than others and various features may be rolled out over time. With that being said, Discord will be available to PlayStation gamers in some capacity early next year.

However, in August Tom Henderson provided an update that the integration would be implemented “in the coming months.”

According to Henderson, the integration is scheduled to go through in Patch 7.0.0, after the Patch 6.0.0 that is scheduled for September 2022.

What PlayStation platforms will Discord be on?

PlayStation 5 console
As Sony’s latest hardware, it’d be an odd move not to launch Discord on the PS5.

By the time Discord functionality rolls around for the PlayStation Network, we’ll be more than a year into the next-gen cycle. With PS5 being the current focus, there’s every chance we see Discord land on Sony’s latest hardware out of the gate.

However, more than 100 million PS4’s are still out in the wild. While nothing is confirmed, it’s more than likely Discord services will launch on the PS4 as well.

Additionally, the announcement also alluded to mobile integration as well. Expect the PlayStation App to merge with Discord at some stage in 2022.

How will Discord work on PlayStation?

Discord graphic
Discord’s popular voice and text chat features could soon be available on PlayStation.

As one of the leading communication services worldwide, Discord took off, in large part, due to a prominent gaming user base. PC gamers hopped to the platform to chat with others regardless of what they were playing at any given time. While Party Chat already serves the same purpose on PlayStation hardware, Discord could soon merge both communities together.

There’s a chance this partnership will allow PlayStation gamers to chat with those on PC. As an example, say you’re playing Warzone with a mixed party. You’re on console while a friend is on PC. Discord functionality could soon let you hop in a call together without a hassle.

At the core of the deal, Sony outlined a desire to bring “friends, groups, and communities together while playing games.” Specifics are yet to be nailed down, but we’ll keep you updated over the next year as more details emerge.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com