Man aiming a PlayStation controller at a big screen TV

Sony to Launch All-New PlayStation Plus Gaming Subscription Service

Combining PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now and offering three subscription tiers

After months of rumors and speculation, Sony officially announced the all-new PlayStation Plus gaming subscription service will launch in June with more than 700 games. This new service will combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now and allow subscribers to choose from three membership tiers, starting at $9.99 a month, $24.99 quarterly or $59.99 yearly in the U.S. When the new service launches, PlayStation Now will transition to PlayStation Plus and will not be available as a standalone service. PlayStation Now subscribers will move over to PlayStation Plus Premium, paying the same fees they currently pay.

Because the rollout is global, it will be done by region, starting in several Asian markets, followed by North America, Europe and then other markets around the world where PlayStation Plus is available. The company hopes to have the rollout complete by the end of the first half of 2022. In addition, Sony said they are planning to expand cloud streaming to additional markets, but they did not announce where or when that will occur.

Company announcement

“Since launching PlayStation Plus in 2010, [Sony Interactive Entertainment] has been at the forefront of innovation with game subscription services. We were thrilled to be the first console membership service that included a refreshed library of games through PlayStation Plus, and also launched the first console game streaming service with PlayStation Now,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of SIE in a March 29, 2022 blog post.

“Today, we are pleased to share with you official news about changes coming to our subscription services. This June, we’re bringing together PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now in an all-new PlayStation Plus subscription service that provides more choice to customers across three membership tiers globally,” Ryan added. “Our focus is on providing high-quality, curated content with a diverse portfolio of games.”

PlayStation Plus graphic in yellow on gray background
Image courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment

Membership tiers

The new PlayStation Plus gaming subscription service will offer three membership tiers with varying price points and features.

  PlayStation Plus Essential  PlayStation Plus Extra  PlayStation Plus Premium
Same benefits as the current PlayStation Plus, including: Two monthly downloadable gamesExclusive discountsCloud storage for saved gamesOnline multiplayer accessAll the benefits of PlayStation Plus Essential, plus: Catalog of up to 400 of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games, including games from the PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partner gamesDownloadable gamesAll the benefits of PlayStation Plus Essential and Extra tiers, plus: Up to 340 additional games including PS3 games available via cloud streamingA catalog of classic games that can be streamed or downloaded from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generationsCloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium Tiers where PlayStation Now is currently availableCustomers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles as well as PCsTime-limited game trials so players can try before they buy
Same pricing as the current PlayStation Plus $9.99 monthly $24.99 quarterly$59.99 yearlyPricing: $14.99 monthly$39.99 quarterly$99.99 yearlyPricing: $17.99 monthly $49.99 quarterly $119.99 yearly

“The new Extra and Premium tiers represent a major evolution for PlayStation Plus. 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,” Ryan said.

PlayStation controller on fuschia background
Source: Envato Elements

Sampling of titles available at launch

Sony teased some of the titles available at the June launch of their all-new PlayStation Plus gaming subscription service:

  • Death Stranding
  • God of War
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  • Mortal Kombat 11
  • Returnal

“Building upon more than 25 years of expertise in gaming innovation, this change to our subscription services highlights our continued efforts to evolve our network services business to match our customer’s preferences. With the all-new PlayStation Plus, we’re focused on delivering a compelling game subscription service with curated content from our exclusive PlayStation Studios team and our third-party partners. The newly enhanced PlayStation Plus will enable our fans to discover and engage with more content than ever before, and deepen their connection with the PlayStation community through shared experiences,” said Ryan.

Insider Take

This is a big week for gaming, first with the launch of a Grand Theft Auto subscription, Netflix’s acquisition of their third game developer in six months, and now this. Quite frankly, this change from PlayStation was long overdue. Having two separate gaming subscriptions is confusing for consumers, and confusion creates friction between the subscription company and their subscribers. While we don’t personally subscribe, these tiers seem well laid out and are priced based on the value they provide. Whether this experiment succeeds is now in the hands of the subscribers.

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