Ever wanted to blast Imagine Dragons while playing Dragon Age? Itching to hear Flight of the Conchords while saving the world in Call of Duty? Hankering for some hip-hop while getting lost in Final Fantasy?

Back in the dark ages of yesteryear, such a feat would require muting a game’s sound and cranking up the volume on whatever music player was at hand. But that is so 2014.

Sony and Spotify officially joined forces on March 30, bringing Spotify’s streaming music library of over 30 million songs to PS4 and PS3 consoles to 41 worldwide markets – including New Zealand.

“Music has always been a big part of gaming,” said Spotify chief product officer Gustav Söderström in a press release.

“I remember playing computer games like Quake and Counter-Strike with my favourite tunes on in the background – taking the experience to a whole new level. With today’s launch, we’re bringing back that magic of gaming with music – all in a beautifully designed and smooth experience that looks great on the big screen.”

Spotify can be accessed from the PlayStation menu like any ordinary game or app. Players who already have a Spotify account can link their account, or can create a new one. Once logged in, users are able to cycle through the Spotify menu using a DualShock controller or a connected device such as a smartphone, and select what songs or playlists to listen to – even playing the music over a game’s existing audio.

The Spotify team-up is the latest in a string of recent moves by Sony to try and expand the PlayStation’s capabilities beyond gaming. The PlayStation Vue TV service is now available in select markets (with plans to expand), as is HBO Go. But neither of those services is available yet to Kiwis, making the Spotify app all the more innovative.

“PlayStation Network is the premier destination for digital entertainment and we’re excited that millions of users around the world can now enjoy the most compelling music service on their PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles,” said John Kodera, President of Sony Network Entertainment International. “With Spotify as the foundation of PlayStation Music, we’ll continue to evolve the service to deliver the best entertainment experience that gamers have come to expect from PlayStation Network.”

Spotify will also be available on Sony’s Xperia smartphones and tablets, with new users able to try Spotify’s advert-less premium service for free for 30 days.