CES 2015: From 4K To PlayStation, Content Dominated Sony's Unveilings

While Sony unveiled a slew of new hardware at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, its presentation was really all about content. Whether it was cameras that shot 4K video for $1,000 or televisions thinner than smartphone, the Japanese corporation has paid special attention to the media that is shot, displayed and listened to on its devices.

In some ways, it’s an expansion of properties that have been profitable for Sony, such as the PlayStation 4, which has sold 18.5 million units since its launch. And in other ways, it’s a transformation, with PlayStation Vue poised to take the PlayStation platform beyond gaming and turn it into a full-blown entertainment streaming platform in the first quarter of 2015.

Sony’s product line is also a rebirth in some aspects -- for instance, the Walkman ZX2, which the company claims is tailored to a high-quality audio listening experience. The television front is no different. While screens have gotten larger and thinner, the software and content powering those displays were the focus, especially with the rollout of Google’s Android TV to Sony televisions as well as a slew of 4K content partners such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube echoing similar initiatives from Samsung and LG.

And while Sony is refocusing on products that bring the company profits, it is also looking to expand its offerings, from wearables devices that can track your runs without additional hardware to image sensors that drive the safety features of the latest vehicles on the road. It’s too early to say if this will work for Sony, which has seen sinking profits in recent years, but it’s clear that it sees content as key to its success in the near future.