The new PlayStation Plus is intended to be an answer to the Xbox Game Pass. Composed of three tariff formulas (Essential, Extra and Premium), the subscription includes all the advantages of the old subscription, to which is added an impressive catalog of games. Accessible by streaming or downloading, it can reach more than 700 games from all the old Sony consoles. The launch in France is scheduled for June 2022.
For a long time, Sony has been preparing a replica of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass behind the scenes. In all discretion, a certain Spartacus project was discussed in the corridors of the company, with the ambition of offering players a service offering hundreds of games to stream or download, all for a small fee. This new subscription has been formalized by Sony and we present here a summary of important information.
What are the prices for the new PlayStation Plus subscriptions?
The main novelty announced by Sony is the tier system of the new PlayStation Plus. The three subscriptions are called Essential, Extra and Premium. Here is the complete price list for France:
- PlayStation Plus Essential : €8.99 per month / €24.99 per quarter / €59.99 per year
- PlayStation Plus Extra : €13.99 per month / €39.99 per quarter / €99.99 per year
- PlayStation Plus Premium : €16.99 per month / €49.99 per quarter / €119.99 per year
PlayStation Plus Essential subscription resumes the exact pricing of the package in effect so far. Those who do not wish to benefit from the advantages of the Extra and Premium formulas can keep their offer, without any modification.
When will the new PlayStation Plus be released in France?
Sony has announced the arrival of the new PlayStation Plus in Europe from June 22, 2022. Europe is the last continent to take advantage of the offer:
- Asia (excluding Japan) – release scheduled for May 23, 2022
- Japan – scheduled for release June 1, 2022
- America – scheduled for release June 13, 2022
- Europe – release scheduled for June 22, 2022
What’s new in the new PlayStation Plus?
The subscription differs from the previous one with the arrival of two new price levels. The old PlayStation Plus becomes PlayStation Plus Essential. It is now accompanied by two other formulas: PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium. Note that each of the offers includes the previous one: the advantages of PS Plus Essential are therefore included in PS Plus Extra and those of PS Plus Extra are included in PS Plus Premium.
1. PlayStation Plus Essential takes over the advantages of the old subscription. This includes :
- Two downloadable games each month
- Exclusive discounts
- Storing backups in the cloud
- Access to online multiplayer
2. PlayStation Plus Extra takes all these assets and adds one more. Here it is :
- Access to a catalog of 400 games available locally. The games can come from Sony’s internal studios or from third-party publishers with whom the firm has concluded commercial agreements.
3. PlayStation Plus Premium takes all the advantages of Extra and adds these:
- Access to a catalog of 340 games additional games, including games from PlayStation 3, available only in cloud gaming, and titles from the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, playable locally or via streaming
- Streaming access to all the games offered in the PlayStation Plus Extra plan. Totaling 740 games playable remotely.
Does the new PlayStation Plus replace PS Plus and PS Now?
Yes, it does indeed replace PS Plus and PS Now. Note that it is no longer possible to subscribe to PlayStation Now pending the arrival of new formulas and that new subscribers will have to adopt the premium plan to enjoy the benefits of the old PlayStation Now. Sony therefore adopts the position of Microsoft which only unlocks access to the Cloud with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Note that PC gamers are particularly harmed by this decision by Sony. Indeed, where they only had to pay €9.99/month to be able to play PlayStation exclusives in streaming, they will now have to subscribe to the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, i.e. pay €16.99/month, to have access to the same service. In addition, it is no longer possible to subscribe to an annual subscription for PlayStation Now and then take advantage of a big reduction, since it has simply disappeared.
Current PS Now subscribers will automatically transition to the new subscription PlayStation Plus Premium, at no additional cost. They will therefore have access to all streaming games, but also to all the advantages of PlayStation Plus, including the two free games per month. As for former PlayStation Plus subscribers, they will retain the benefits of their current subscription and will automatically migrate to the subscription PlayStation Plus Essential.
Note that unlike Microsoft’s Game Pass, Sony does not offer game streaming on smartphones. A deliberate choice by the manufacturer, which seeks to leave its PS5 at the center of its ecosystem. The PlayStation Plus is thought of as a complement, and not the heart of the experience. It might happen one day, but it’s not really consistent with the current strategy.
On what media is the new PlayStation Plus available?
Of course, it will be available on PlayStation 5. The Extra and Premium levels should also be particularly suitable for owners of a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition which is not equipped with a Blu-Ray player.
Sony also confirms that PS4 players will not be left out. Sony has no interest in depriving itself of the huge fleet of consoles from the previous generation. Especially since the shortage of PS5 does not weaken, and that the PS4 is still in production to compensate for the lack of PS5. Game streaming will therefore be compatible with this console, allowing PS4 players to play the latest generation games without a PS5.
Finally, Sony confirms that the new PlayStation Plus is also compatible with the PC, although this compatibility is limited. This is not a surprise since the PS Now was available on computer. But, as the service uses cloud gaming to operate on this platform, only the Premium level, the most expensive, is useful.
Will PlayStation Studios games be available on release day?
Yes, Sony announces that all PlayStation Studios titles will be available. The firm therefore announces the upcoming integration of flagship titles from the PlayStation 5 catalog into its offer, including:
- death stranding
- god of war
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Returnal
However, very recent exclusive titles (Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Gran Turismo 7, etc.) are not included. We obviously hope that Sony will one day end up imitating Microsoft on this point. PS2 and PS1 games are also on the menu, such as Siphon Filter (Playstation, 1999), Siphon Filter 2 (Playstation, 2000), Siphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP and PS2, 2006/2007) and Siphon Filter Logan’s Shadow (PSP and PS2, 2007).
Is the PlayStation Plus Video Pass included in the new PS Plus?
The PlayStation Plus Video Pass is not included. As a reminder, this is an SVOD service giving access to a catalog of films and series whose rights are held by Sony Pictures, a test phase of which was launched in Poland in 2021. Sony clearly has arguments to assert in terms of video on demand with its in-house productions. The Japanese group also owns platforms such as ADN, Crunchyroll and Wakanim, which can be enhanced by integrating a PlayStation offer.