Sony has announced that its subscription service PlayStation Plus is being revamped, offering more benefits to users across three available subscription tiers. Leaks detailing the same originally emerged in December last year, with more details about the service coming to light in subsequent reports, the majority of which have proven accurate.
For starters, PlayStation Now is being folded into PlayStation Plus, with the revamped version of the latter now encompassing both subscription services, in addition to other benefits. The base tier, dubbed PlayStation Plus Essential, is the same as current PlayStation Plus subscriptions, offering monthly free game, discounts, and cloud saves in addition to online multiplayer access for $9.99 per month.
The second tier of the service will be called PlayStation Plus Extra, and in addition to all of the above, it will also offer a catalog of up to 400 games to subscribers from the PS4 and PS5’s libraries. It will cost either $14.99 every month, $39.99 every quarter, or $99.99 if you choose to purchase a subscription for 12 months.
Finally, there’s the PlayStation Plus Premium tier, which, in addition to all the benefits of the previous two tiers, will also put quite an emphasis on legacy PlayStation titles. An addition catalog of up to 340 games will be offered to subscribers, featuring games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP libraries. While PS1, PS2, and PSP games will be available via cloud streaming and as digital downloads, PS3 games will only be playable via the cloud.
PlayStation Plus Premium will also include all the cloud streaming benefits of current PlayStation Now subscriptions, as well as free limited-time game trials for select titles, so you’ll be able to try them out before deciding if you want to buy them in full. PS Plus Premium subscriptions will cost either $17.99 per month, $49.99 every quarter, or $119.99 for 12 months. The monthly cost of the tier is higher than competitor Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which costs $14.99 per month), but the annual cost is roughly $60 lower, since Microsoft’s service doesn’t offer the option to purchase an annual subscription.
Sony also confirms that all current PlayStation Now users will automatically migrate over to PlayStation Plus Premium without any additional payments.
The revamped PlayStation Plus will launch in June, though Sony is rolling out the service in phases. June will see it launching in several markets in Asia, followed by North America, Europe, and the rest of the world. Sony says “most” PlayStation Network territories will have the service by June.
| Tier | Benefits | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Plus Essential | – All current PS Plus benefits, including two monthly free games, cloud storage for saved games, exclusive discounts, and online multiplayer access. | $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly |
| PlayStation Plus Extra | – All PS Plus Essential benefits – A catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games | $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly |
| PlayStation Plus Premium | – All PS Plus Extra benefits – An additional catalog of up to 340 games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP libraries (PS3 games available exclusively via cloud streaming) – Cloud streaming – Time-limited game trials | $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly |