The rumored relaunch of Sony’s subscription service is nigh. A new entry on the PlayStation Blog detailed how PS Plus is changing. From June 2022 forward, PS Plus will offer tiers of service. The basic version starts with what all current subscribers get now. Newly-added tiers will cost more and add features folded in from the PlayStation Now, Sony’s game streaming and download service. PS Now was previously a separate subscription. It will be folded into PS Plus after the relaunch.
Sony is relaunching the service with three PS Plus tiers: PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium.
The first tier, Essential, is the same as PS Plus now. It will provide the same offerings as before:
- Cloud saves
- Online multiplayer
- Exclusive discounts
- Two monthly downloadable games
It will cost $9.99 USD monthly in North America, with quarterly and yearly options that reduce the monthly outlay.
The second tier is called PS Plus Extra. It includes all the benefits from Essential, then adds a library of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games to download. The games range from indie hits to major first- and third-party releases. The Extra tier costs $14.99 USD monthly. There will be similar discounts for players that pick the quarterly and yearly options.
Finally, the most expensive of the tiers is PS Plus Premium. Premium folds in everything from the previous two levels and adds more games. Among them are retro titles. It includes:
- PS3 games via PS Now’s streaming
- Cloud streaming access for the game library offered in all three tiers on PS4, PS5, and PC
- Downloadable titles from the PS1, PS2, and PSP generations
- Time-limited game trials for “select games”
The PS Plus Premium tier costs $17.99 monthly. As before, quarterly and yearly pricing options will reduce the rate.
Sony noted that some countries do not offer cloud streaming options. For those markets, a reduced-price “PS Plus Deluxe” tier will be available. As for existing PS Now subscribers, they’ll be migrated to PS Plus Premium automatically “with no increase to their current subscription fees at launch.”
Regarding launch timing and regions, Sony said that the new PS Plus tiers would begin a “phased launch” in Asia in June 2022. North America, Europe, and the rest of the world will follow. Sony will migrate most PlayStation Network territories by the end of the first half of 2022. Cloud streaming services are also due to expand to more territories than currently offered. Which means more customers will be able to select the PS Plus Premium tier upon launch.
Sony didn’t specify exactly which games would be included for each of the PS Plus tiers. It did note that a number of major titles would be in the library at launch, including Death Stranding, God of War, both Marvel’s Spider-Man titles, Returnal, and Mortal Kombat 11. The library will be “regularly refreshed,” with new content and games added. In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that new first-party games would not be added to subscribers’ libraries “day-and-date,” meaning that the newest major releases from Sony-owned studios will still be sold separately from the PS Plus subscription. He was, however, open to that situation changing.
Sony will relaunch its PS Plus service starting in June 2022. The March 2022’s PS Plus games are available until April 4, 2022.
Published: Mar 29, 2022 09:30 am