Sony’s PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now will officially merge to offer players more choice through three subscription tiers.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan lifts the lid on Spartacus (codename): “Since the launch of PlayStation Plus in 2010, we have been at the forefront of innovation in gaming services subscription. We were thrilled to offer the first console subscription service that included an updated library of games thanks to PlayStation Plus. With PlayStation Now, we were also the first to launch a console game streaming service. Today, we are happy to officially announce changes to our two subscription services. In June, we will merge PlayStation Plus with PlayStation Now into an all-new subscription service that will give customers around the world more choice through three subscription tiers.”
All-new PlayStation Plus launches in June with three flexible membership options.
First details: https://t.co/2KXcEp7XWs pic.twitter.com/jAU9Do3CfE
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 29, 2022
Scheduled for next June, Jim Ryan details the content of the new service: “The new Extra and Premium levels represent a major development for PlayStation Plus. With these tiers, we ensure that the hundreds of games we offer include the best content that sets us apart. When the service launches, we plan to include games like Death Stranding, God of War, Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal. We work closely with creative developers at PlayStation Studios and our third-party partners to include some of the best gaming experiences, as well as an ever-expanding library. We will be bringing you new details of the games we will be offering as part of the new PlayStation Plus service very soon. When the new PlayStation Plus service becomes available, PlayStation Now will be integrated into it and will therefore no longer be available as a standalone service.
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PlayStation Now subscribers will upgrade to PlayStation Plus Premium at no additional cost when the new service becomes available. Since this is a major event, we plan to roll out the new PlayStation Plus region by region. We will launch the service in several markets in Asia, then North America, Europe and finally the rest of the world in which PlayStation Plus is offered. Most PlayStation Network territories are expected to have access to the new PlayStation Plus subscription games service by the end of the first half of this year. We also plan to expand the cloud streaming advantage to other markets. The changes to our subscription services are based on more than 25 years of expertise in innovation and video games. They are part of a continuity aimed at developing our network services to meet the needs of our customers. With the all-new PlayStation Plus, we want to deliver a compelling subscription gaming service, featuring hand-picked content created by our exclusive PlayStation Studios team and our third-party partners. The enhanced PlayStation Plus will allow our fans to experience more content than ever before and strengthen the bonds of the PlayStation community through shared experiences.”
The three offers of the new PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus Essential (8.99 euros per month or 24.99 euros per quarter or 59.99 euros per year)
- Two downloadable games each month
- Exclusive discounts
- Cloud storage for game saves
- Access to online multiplayer
PlayStation Plus Extra (13.99 euros per month or 39.99 euros per quarter or 99.99 euros per year)
- The benefits of the Essential bearing
- A catalog of around 400 of the best PS4 and PS5 games, including exclusive hits from PlayStation Studios and third-party publishers
- Extra tier games can be downloaded for offline access
PlayStation Plus Premium (16.99 euros per month or 49.99 euros per quarter or 119.99 euros per year)
- The benefits of the Essential and Extra bearings
- Limited-time trial versions of certain games allowing players to test them before buying them
- PS3 games available via cloud streaming
- A catalog of great PS1, PS2 and PSP classics available to stream or download
- Players can stream to PS4 and PS5 consoles, as well as PC