Sony's PS Plus Boosts Surprising Number of Premium Subscribers

Sony has released a report disclosing the number of subscribers who have opted for the Extra and Premium tiers of PS Plus, with the results being quite surprising. In June 2022, PlayStation Plus revamped its service into a three-tiered system, with the Essential category being the same as before. Users now have the choice to upgrade to either Extra or Premium, which come with unique benefits in addition to the basic version of PS Plus.

Those in the Extra tier can enjoy access to a vast library of PS5 and PS4 games, while Premium members are able to play select PS1, PS2, and PSP titles and even stream PS3 games. PS Plus Premium subscribers can also download time-limited trials for specific games, allowing them to try them out for a few hours. It has now been revealed by Sony that a surprising number of gamers have opted for these higher tiers of PS Plus.

As of March 2023, Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium boasts 8 million subscribers, while PS Plus Extra has 6.1 million subscribers. Together, these higher PS Plus tiers make up 30% of the total user base. Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Plus has a total of 47.4 million subscribers across all three tiers. These figures were revealed in a recent Business Segment Meeting, which also provided valuable insights into PlayStation's market performance.

Sony has reported that PS VR2 has sold 600,000 units since its release, achieving an 8% increase over the sales of PS VR during the same period. Additionally, the PC version of The Last of Us Part 1 has sold 368,000 copies, while Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered has sold over 1.5 million units. The report also includes information about Sony’s investment plans for the PlayStation division and key areas for growth.

Sony introduced new PS Plus tiers just a year ago, and it is impressive that they have achieved such a high percentage of subscribers in this time. While certain titles have left PS Plus Extra and Premium, the lineup is steadily improving as Sony adds more first-party games to PS Plus Extra. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be joining in May 2023. It remains to be seen if the numbers will increase or decrease in the future, as some gamers may return to the Essential tier of PS Plus after trying out Extra or Premium for a month.

Source: Sony (via Push Square)