Sony Debuts its Game Pass Rival ‘All-New PlayStation Plus’ Subscription Service

Sony has officially given word of its plans to bridge both its cloud gaming service, PlayStation Now, with its online multiplayer subscription, PlayStation Plus, into three cohesive offerings. The Xbox Game Pass lookalike will feature over 700 games, some of which will be retro and trial versions, that will span the lifetime of PlayStation's long history in gaming.

The company announced the new service via its official blog, giving immense details on the three varied plans. Rollout won't begin until June, and those already subscribed to PlayStation Now will be siphoned into the Premium category, which, as the name implies, is essentially the highest offering to choose from.

The evolved form of PlayStation Plus will now have three versions (four, counting the Deluxe plan offered only in select markets). PlayStation Plus Essential encompasses much of the same concepts already applied to the Plus service as it stands now, costing a monthly $9.99 to an annual $59.99. PlayStation Plus Extra will utilize all the same benefits from Essential while adding in 400 PS4 and PS5 games at $14.99 a month and a $99.99 yearly price tag.

PlayStation Plus Premium, which current Now subscribers will be bundled into, will add an additional 340 games on top of the Extra tier's 400, with classics from the PSP, PS2, and original PlayStation. Premium will also have cloud streamed PS3 games, which was one of the main features of Now, and cloud streamed classics and PS4 games, which all can be accessed on PS4, PS5, and even PC. It will also have time-limited trials for certain games, which will be based on a $17.99 monthly fee or an annual $119.99.

Deluxe will only be available to markets that don't have cloud streaming capabilities, a huge issue plaguing the inevitable rise in cloud gaming. Thus, PlayStation Plus Deluxe won't have any cloud streaming offerings but will still carry over classics from the PS2, PS, and PSP for downloadable play at a lower price. It will also have the same benefits as both Essential and Extra.

PlayStation relayed that such games as "Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal" will all be launch-based content. The company also explained that, akin to Game Pass, the new Plus subscription tiers would have "regularly refreshed" libraries that will "include some of the best gaming experiences available" via both PlayStation Studios and third-party partners.

The regional rollout will begin in Asia, then into North America and Europe, with the remainder of the world already having PlayStation Plus seeing the additional tiers arriving after June. Countries with PlayStation Network will see the new subscription service by "the end of the first half of 2022."

There is no mention of day-one releases, but several reports prove PlayStation isn't considering it for its updated PS Plus subscriptions. The service seems quite adequate for an average gamer who doesn't want to spend $50-$70 on a year-old game. But, for more seasoned gamers who are often buying new releases and are playing more often than most, PS Plus doesn't exactly seem like a Game Pass killer, but it does offer some interesting insight into how Sony sees the future of its subscription service.