PlayStation Plus is getting a long-awaited makeover in June, so here’s what you need to know.
If you’re a PlayStation fan, you might be excited to know that you’re finally getting Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass in June. PlayStation Now has long been Sony’s subscription service of ready-to-play games for a small monthly fee, but it appears it’s going to be dethroned soon. PS Now currently allows players to stream games or download them to their consoles in a Netflix-esque format, but despite sounding good on paper, the service hasn’t been well received due to a lack of high budget, AAA titles.
It seems that Sony Interactive Entertainment has decided to shake up their business model for the better. As of right now, a subscription of PS Plus costs $9.99/month and is required to play most games online with other players and gain access to exclusive deals. PS Now is also $9.99/month and grants you access to Sony’s catalog of games to stream or download. The new and improved PlayStation Plus that releases in June sort of combines the two services while providing more membership options to the player with three tiers to choose from.
- PlayStation Plus Essential is the first, which is essentially (no pun intended), the same thing as the current PlayStation Plus subscription that members currently pay $9.99/month for. There is no additional benefit to this tier and it’s what all PS Plus members currently have. The price for this tier will remain at $9.99/month.
- PlayStation Plus Extra is the second tier, which provides the benefit of the PS Plus Essential tier, while also giving the subscriber access to the new and improved upcoming catalog of PS4 and PS5 games. These games will be downloadable and are said to be PlayStation’s blockbuster exclusives as well as third party titles. This tier will go for $14.99/month. If I was a betting man, I’d say that this is going to be the most popular option for players.
- PlayStation Plus Premium is the final tier, has all of the benefits from the lower tiers, and adds additional benefits to the player. PS Plus Premium differs by giving the subscriber an extra catalog of PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 games to either stream or download (depending on the game). PS Plus Premium also grants subscribers with time-limited game trials so that they can try before they buy certain games. This tier will cost you $17.99/month.
All in all, this news comes at a great time since developers are back in the studio and we’re starting to see more games rollout. The complete blog post of the new PlayStation Plus announcement can be found here.