Highlights
The enhanced version of PlayStation Plus provides a wide range of benefits for its subscribers, including monthly games, online multiplayer capabilities, enticing discounts, and exclusive content. With this service, subscribers gain access to an extensive collection of games from the PS5, PS4, and classic PlayStation libraries. It is important to note that there has been a recent increase in the price of this service.
The service by Sony was redesigned last year, offering three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Subscribers to Extra and Premium can access downloads of PS5, PS4, and classic games. However, unlike Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation does not release its AAA first-party titles immediately.
In defense of the price increase, PlayStation senior vice president Eric Lempel highlighted the satisfaction of consumers with the tiered subscription model. He also emphasized the distinction between PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass.
PlayStation's senior vice president, Eric Lempel, has addressed the recent price increase for PS Plus and the absence of first-party games on the service's launch day. PS Plus currently provides players with monthly games to claim and download, access to online multiplayer, discounts, and exclusive content. Subscribers can also access a vast collection of games from the PS5, PS4, and classic PlayStation libraries, depending on their subscription tier. However, the service has seen a price increase of $20 to $40 per year in recent months.
Last year, Sony introduced new subscription options for PS Plus, dividing them into three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The Essential tier is similar to the original PS Plus subscription, offering multiplayer, monthly games, discounts, and a few additional benefits. The Extra and Premium levels, on the other hand, provide subscribers with catalogs of downloadable games. Extra subscribers gain access to included PS5 and PS4 games, while Premium users can also play games from PlayStation's library of classic titles. While this resembles Xbox's popular Game Pass service, PlayStation does not release its AAA first-party games on the platform at launch like its competitor.
In a recent interview with Barron's, Eric Lempel, Senior Vice President of PlayStation, addressed the recently implemented PS Plus price hike and the absence of first-party games at launch. Lempel defended the price increase and expressed satisfaction with the new tiered subscription model introduced by PlayStation last year. Interestingly, he revealed that one-third of PS Plus users have subscribed to either of the two higher tiers.
Lempel's remarks regarding the absence of first-party games on PS Plus in comparison to Xbox Game Pass were somewhat elusive. He mentioned that the two services are distinctly different and emphasized the importance of the type and quality of games being offered. However, he refrained from commenting on the competition's strategies.
Sony's approach to including first-party titles on PS Plus aligns more with a premium release model, similar to how big-budget movies first debut in theaters before becoming available on streaming services. Nevertheless, a counterargument to this approach can be seen in the success of Xbox's recent console exclusive, Starfield. Despite concerns that its availability on Game Pass would impact sales, Starfield experienced impressive sales in its first month. Additionally, Xbox achieved a record-breaking number of subscribers in a single day, largely due to the popularity of the RPG.
The comparison is not perfect for various reasons. Additionally, PlayStation's approach appears to be quite successful for them. Their top first-party games receive high ratings and are among the best-selling titles in the market. As long as this remains the case, it is unlikely that gamers will find AAA first-party titles on PS Plus.
