TORONTO: Sony Corp has signed a deal to invest in Discord for a minority stake in the popular chat app for online communities, particularly gaming-focused groups, a news release said.

Sony invested in Discord by participating in the startup’s Series H round. Sony will integrate the Discord app into PlayStation consoles and mobile devices.

Many PlayStation users already use Discord to chat with friends. The partnership’s goal is to bring Discord and PlayStation experiences closer together, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said in a press release.

The integration work has already begun, and Sony has promised that consoles incorporating the Discord app will begin rolling out in early 2022. It counts on bringing the app to PlayStation to enable people to chat more easily while enjoying fun moments together.

“From our very first conversation with co-founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, I was inspired by their lifelong love for gaming and our teams’ shared passion to help bring friends and communities together in new ways,” said Ryan.

Discord lets people come together to chat, supporting text, audio, and video communication. The app’s community has expanded rapidly during the Covid-19 restrictions, and it now has more than 140 million monthly users. Sony hopes that the Discord integration will make PlayStations more appealing and competitive on the market, boosting its console sales. https://www.sony.net