Sony has been hinting at a more direct Game Pass competitor for some time. With XCloud being a much more present force in the online game streaming space, Sony has been on the back foot trying to keep up. The company has brought out a huge change to PSN access. Gamers on the Sony side are about to see a huge push into game streaming.
There are three tiers in this new service, with each one offering its own bonuses. The cheapest tier is basically just the same as PS Plus, offering two free games a month and multiplayer access. This base tier will be billed at $9.99 per three months. Offering access to online play and free game demos from PSN. It’s of note that this is not the same as the normal free games given out by Sony each month. The tiers beyond that offer a pretty simple fusion of both on-demand game streaming and traditional PSN features. The two new sub levels, named PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, will be priced at a minimum of $14.99 per month and $17.99 per month, respectively. Pricing will vary by region, and you can also get a very small discount by paying by quarter or annually.
PlayStation Plus Extra includes all the base features of the previous tier, along with access to an on-demand games library of PS4 and PS5 games. The library is a download-only tier of about 400 games.. Beyond that is the top tier at PlayStation Plus Premium, which will include all the other features like monthly games and downloads, but also another 300+ titles. This tier includes PS3 games for on-demand play.
Both tiers of Extra and Premium include access to select original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games. This will be in effecting the same markets where PlayStation Now already exists. So far, Sony hasn’t revealed plans for expansion of PS Now into new areas.
As for when it’s coming to what regions, Sony is aiming for a phased launch to be completed by the end of 2022. Sony is targeting an initial launch in several markets in Asia, followed by North America, Europe and the rest of the world. This applies for regions where PS+ is already active. An exact date hasn’t been announced, but Sony promises more details soon.
Here’s the pricing breakdown, courtesy of Sony:
PlayStation Plus Essential
Benefits
- Provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are getting today, such as:
- Two monthly downloadable games
- Exclusive discounts
- Cloud storage for saved games
- Online multiplayer access
- There are no changes for existing PlayStation Plus members in this tier.
Price* for PlayStation Plus Essential remains the same as the current price for PlayStation Plus.
- United States
- $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly
- Europe
- €8.99 monthly / €24.99 quarterly / €59.99 yearly
- United Kingdom
- £6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly
- Japan
- ¥850 monthly / ¥2,150 quarterly / ¥5,143 yearly
PlayStation Plus Extra
Benefits
- Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier
- Adds a catalog of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.
Price*
- United States
- $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly
- Europe
- €13.99 monthly / €39.99 quarterly / €99.99 yearly
- United Kingdom
- £10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly
- Japan
- ¥1,300 monthly / ¥3,600 quarterly / ¥8,600 yearly
PlayStation Plus Premium**
Benefits
- Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers
- Adds up to 340* additional games, including:
- PS3 games available via cloud streaming
- A catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations
- Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.***
- Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.
Price*
- United States
- $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly
- Europe
- €16.99 monthly / €49.99 quarterly / €119.99 yearly
- United Kingdom
- £13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly
- Japan
- ¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly
- PlayStation Plus Deluxe (Select Markets) For markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be offered at a lower price compared to Premium, and includes a catalog of beloved classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations to download and play, along with time-limited game trials. Benefits from Essential and Extra tiers are also included. Local pricing will vary by market.
Source: Sony
