PlayStation Announces “All-New PlayStation Plus”
The three tiered service will launch with 700+ games
Jim Ryan, CEO and President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, took to the PlayStation Blog to announce an “all-new PlayStation Plus.”
Aimed at being an Xbox Game Pass competitor, the new PlayStation Plus will have over 700 games from all across the PlayStation family to download and stream. The service essentially merges the existing PlayStation Plus with PlayStation Now, Sony’s ambitious. but often not discussed digital library service.
As GamesBeat correctly reported back in February, the all-new PlayStation Plus will launch with three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium.
PlayStation Plus Essential provides the same benefits that users know now: two monthly downloadable games, exclusive discounts, cloud storage, and online multiplayer. The tier will cost $9.99USD monthly/ $24.99 quarterly/ $59.99 yearly.
PlayStation Plus Extra provides all the benefits of Essential while also including a catalog of up to 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games to download or stream. These titles include third-party partners and acclaimed games like God of War, Death Stranding, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It will cost $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly.
PlayStation Plus Premium includes everything from the previous two tiers while also adding 340 games from the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the PlayStation 3. Unlike the games for other systems, which can be streamed and downloaded, PlayStation 3 games can only be streamed. Players can stream the games on their PCs, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 consoles. There will also be limited time game trials through the service. It will cost $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly.
For markets without cloud streaming available, a separate PlayStation Deluxe tier will be available instead of Premium. Players in these regions will be unable to play PlayStation 3 games, but they will be charged less money than the Premium service.
Previously code-named Spartacus, the all-new PlayStation Plus service—which currently aims for a regional Asian launch in June before rolling out to North America, Europe and the rest of the world “by the end of the first half of 2022”—will not have games launch day and date as their Microsoft competitor does. Xbox has promised all titles under the Xbox Games Studios banner to launch on Game Pass, allowing players to skip the $60-70 payment and just play.