Twitch: PS4 streaming a 'game changer' for service

PlayStation 4 owners are responsible for 20 percent of Twitch broadcasts from Dec. 23, 2013 to Jan. 3, Twitch announced today.

Since the console's launch, more than 1.7 million streams have been broadcast through the PlayStation 4, Sony announced today. That number is measured from the console's launch Nov. 15, 2013, to Jan. 6. According to the press release, more than 55 million minutes total have been broadcast through platforms Twitch and Ustream.

Gameplay broadcasts are thought to generate almost 22 million sessions, with Ustream reporting an average of 40 minutes per session on its services.

According to Twitch's VP of marketing, Matthew DiPietro, the company was confident that integrating live broadcasting with consoles "would be a game changer."

"Based on our success with PlayStation 4, which currently represents twenty percent of our broadcaster base, our vision was on the mark," DiPietro said. "We envision a day when broadcasting your gameplay is a ubiquitous piece of the gaming experience. We're well on our way."

For more on the impact of streaming on next-gen gaming, check out our report.

At CES today, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House announced that the PS4 has sold more than 4.2 million units since launch.