PlayStation Plus Has A Huge Update This June

With the huge success of Xbox Game Pass and other gaming subscription services, many have been wondering if Sony would offer its own take on the idea. Currently, they have two separate services. PlayStation Plus is a necessity for online multiplayer (for non-F2P games) and offering additional bonuses such as a handful of free games each month, while PlayStation Now is a cloud gaming service that is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

At the end of last year, some rumors were floating around that Sony would combine both of these services into one with multiple tiers and additional benefits. Those rumors were proved to be correct as Sony has announced the details of a new PlayStation Plus launching in June with three distinct tiers over on their blog.

The first tier is PlayStation Plus Essential. It offers the same benefits that PlayStation Plus currently provides and features the same pricing as well at $9.99 monthly/$59.99 yearly. Those who are already subscribed and aren’t interested in any more will see no changes. With the middle tier, called PlayStation Plus Extra, players will additionally have access to a catalog of downloadable PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. This catalog is estimated to include up to 400 games and a mix of both first-party and third-party titles. It’s priced at $14.99 monthly/$99.99 yearly.

PlayStation Now’s technology comes into play with the final tier. PlayStation Plus Premium adds to the previous tiers with up to 340 more games. These games include PlayStation 3 games available to cloud stream, as well as both streaming and downloading options for original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable games. PlayStation 4 games from the Extra tier will also be available for cloud streaming. Rounding out this highest tier are exclusive game trials and a price of $17.99 monthly/$119.99 yearly.

A notable feature that many were hoping to see and is a huge selling point with Xbox Game Pass is first-day releases. At this time though, it’s not planned for that to be offered. An interview with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO Jim Ryan went into further detail on how the company currently wants to keep the traditional cycle of investing and success going. It seems like Sony’s plan is not to go head-to-head with Xbox Game Pass with the same offerings, but by consolidating both of its services into one while standing out with more affordable pricing.

For now, we know that some titles that will be available at launch include “Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal.” What other games will be offered within the Extra and Premium tiers remains to be announced, but we should hopefully be finding out more soon as we approach June.