Sony recently confirmed growing speculation about its services. As of June this year, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscriptions will merge into one unit and provide access not only to existing PS Plus features, but also to the catalog of older titles from previous generations up to the first PlayStation. Sony has presented in detail the upcoming offer, which starts at 9 euros per month and ends at 17 euros for the highest premium subscription rate.
“Since the launch of PlayStation Plus in 2010, SIE has been at the forefront of gaming subscription service innovation,” Sony begins the expected report, which appeared on Tuesday PlayStation blog. Sony also recalls that they were the first to come up with a service in the console area that gives players a free game against subscription, and mentions the PlayStation Now streaming platform, which has never been available globally and at least has not yet been realized. “This June, we will combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into a completely new service,” adds Sony, confirming that the service will continue to bear the aforementioned PS Plus designation.
Three levels divided by price and content
The new subscription form will be divided into three levels – Essential, Extra and Premium / Deluxe – which naturally differ in price and content. The basic level is de facto the standard version of PS Plus as players on the PlayStation have known it so far. For 9 euros per month, resp. € 25 per quarter and € 60 per year, subscribers will receive access to two free games each month, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved positions and access to multiplayer. As Sony itself adds, for existing subscribers Plus nothing changes.
However, the second stage is more interesting, and in addition to all the elements that Essential comes with, the subscription in the Extra stage will be supplemented by the possibility to start playing up to 400 titles from the PS4 and PS5 eras. Sony says it’s going to be the funniest piece, including hits from first-party developers at PlayStation Studios. Games can be downloaded and played locally, which is important because we’re not talking about streaming and the basic functionality of PlayStation Now at this time. The price offer for Europe is set at 14 euros per month, resp. 40 euros quarterly and 100 euros per year.
The highest level – Premium / Deluxe – again includes all previous issues, but comes up with another up to 340 titles. This includes selected games from PlayStation 3, which, however, can only be played streamed and cataloged the most beloved games from the original PlayStation, its successor and the PSP handheld, and these games can be downloaded and streamed at will. In addition, the gateway to the rest of the PS Now catalog opens, including games for PS1, PS2, PSP and PS4, which can be streamed on PS4, PS5 or via a PC application.
However, the biggest obstacle from the point of view of players in the Czech Republic and Slovakia still applies, because only players in supported regions and countries to which we unfortunately do not belong can enjoy streaming gaming. This is one of the reasons why the aforementioned Deluxe designation applies to us and other non-supported countries, as well as a lower price, derived from the basic price of a full Premium subscription. This is 17 euros per month, respectively. EUR 50 per quarter and EUR 120 per year, with Sony not mentioning the reduced price yet. However, recent speculation about time-limited demos, which will also be available in Premium, has been confirmed, so players can try out the titles before buying them.
New PlayStation Plus subscriptions at a glance
| PlayStation Plus Essential | PlayStation Plus Extra | PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 8.99 per month / EUR 24.99 quarterly / EUR 59.99 per year | EUR 13.99 per month / EUR 39.99 per quarter / EUR 99.99 per year | EUR 16.99 per month / EUR 49.99 per quarter / EUR 119.99 per year |
| Two games a month for free | All previous rewards | All previous rewards |
| Exclusive discounts | Catalog of up to 400 titles from the era of PS4 and PS5 | Up to 340 older titles. PS3 games only streamed, PS1, PS2 and PSP games can be downloaded and streamed |
| Stored positions in the cloud | Includes games from PlayStation Studios and 3rd party titles | Access the PS Now library with other streaming games from PS1, PS2, PSP and PS4. However, only in countries where PS Now is now supported (the Czechia and Slovakia are not supported, in our country the service is called PS Plus Deluxe and will be cheaper) |
| Access to online multiplayer | Games are downloaded and played locally | Time-limited game trials |
–
There will be no news, but recent hits
The new Extra and Premium grades according to Sony represent a great evolution for the PlayStation Plus. Here, the company wants to offer hundreds of games, among which players should find even the best. As soon as the service is launched, the Japanese giant plans to include titles such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11 and Returnal. Sony works closely with its own first party developers and third party publishers to make the library offer some of the best digital experiences. Its content will change. Sony promises to release more details about specific titles.
When the new PlayStation Plus service becomes operational, PS Now will merge its offerings and will no longer be available on its own. Existing PS Now subscribers will then be transferred by Sony to PlayStation Plus Premium at no additional charge when the news is launched. The manufacturer says this is a massive change, so it will launch the new PlayStation Plus offering in stages by region. Some players in Asia will be the first to arrive in June. This will be followed by North America, Europe and then the rest of the world. Sony wants to have most of its territories covered by the new PlayStation Plus service by the end of the first half of the year. The company then wants to extend the benefits of cloud streaming to other markets, which is crucial from our point of view. As mentioned above, PS Now does not officially work in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, and we will see more details later.
According to Jim Ryan, Sony builds on more than a quarter of a century of experience in gaming innovation. According to him, the big change in subscriptions should reflect the effort to meet the wishes of customers. The new PlayStation Plus service is designed to bring a comprehensive package of benefits and content. This allows players to discover and try more content than ever before.
–
