Sony launches new PlayStation Plus subscription service to take on Xbox Game Pass
Sony on Tuesday announced a reimagined PlayStation Plus, a gaming subscription service it plans to launch in June. Analysts and tech insiders say the new service will not only help Sony better compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass but also drive sales of its PlayStation 5 console.
The new subscription offering from Sony combines the streaming service PlayStation Now with the PlayStation Plus membership. The new PlayStation Plus launches in the summer and will be available in three tiers:
The basic package, the PlayStation Plus Essential, offers users two free games a month and access to online multiplayer. It costs $10 a month and $60 a year.
The PlayStation Plus Extra, a higher tier package, has the same benefits as the PlayStation Plus Essential but includes a selection of 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 downloadable titles. It’s priced at $15 a month or $100 a year. This is Sony’s direct answer to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate both in terms of pricing and benefits.
The most expensive tier is called the PlayStation Plus Premium, which includes 340 more games than Extra, and also lets players play a selection of PS2, PS3, PSP, PS3, PS4 and PS5 games over the internet. PlayStation Plus Premium costs $18 a month or $120 a year.
Although Sony didn’t l every game that will be a part of these tiers, it did name a few titles including Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Mortal Kombat 11 and Returnal.
As the business model of selling video games has drastically changed during the pandemic, Sony needed to shake up its services offering to better compete with Xbox Game Pass, a gaming subscription service from Microsoft which allows users to download and play popular titles for a monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass has over 25 million subscribers.
The new Extra and Premium tiers represent a major evolution of PlayStation Plus,” Sony’s PlayStation head Jim Ryan, said in a blog post.”With these tiers, our key focus is to ensure that the hundreds of games we offer will include the best quality content that sets us apart.”
Microsoft sees the future of gaming in Xbox Game Pass and the acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $70 billion was an attempt to bring their must-have titles to its services. Sony, too, is acquiring big and small studios in order to increase its catalogue of exclusive titles.
