Sony will launch a revamped version of its PlayStation Plus subscription service in June. There will be three different tiers for this service, with the highest tier giving players access to over 700 titles.
For the most part, Sony’s plan appears to combine the different aspects of its PlayStation Plus program with its PlayStation Now program to create a viable contender for Microsoft’s insanely successful Game Pass. However, the exact benefits players get depend on the level they sign up for.
The lowest level is called PlayStation Plus Essential, which is just a renamed version of the existing PlayStation Plus program. It will cost $ 60 per year and offer players a familiar array of perks, including special discounts, free games, cloud storage, and online play.
The next level is PlayStation Plus Extra. It will cost $ 15 per month or $ 100 per year. In addition to the perks of the lower tier, this tier allows players to play 400 games from the PS4 and PS5 libraries. You can download or stream these games, and this service functionally replaces PlayStation Now (which will be discontinued in June).
The highest tier is PlayStation Plus Premium. It will cost $ 18 per month or $ 120 per year. In addition to the benefits of the previous tiers, Premium offers an additional 340 games. These games will mostly consist of older titles than the original Playstation, PS2, PS3 and even PSP. Some games will be downloadable, but PS3 games will only be streaming. This level will also include timed play trials and cloud streaming on PC.
Sony obviously created this service to compete with Microsoft’s Game Pass and it’s no coincidence that the PlayStation Plus Essential has a similar monthly price. But the jury has not yet decided whether Sony will be able to offer Microsoft’s selection of quality games.
Some retro fans are also skeptical of the Premium tier. Sony announced it would remove the PS3 and PS Vita stores last year before turning back due to fan backlash. But when (not if) those stores dress up, players may be stuck paying for a monthly selection of retro titles instead of simply being able to buy and keep the games they want.
Are you excited about Sony’s PlayStation Plus changes? Let us know in the comments!
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