At the end of March, after several months of rumors and leaks, Sony finally lifted the veil on the redesign of its PlayStation Plus. A real competitor to GamePass from Microsoft and Xbox which comes as a merger of the current PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, with three formulas available. And if a recent report is to be believed, Sony has made a drastic decision regarding many development studios.
when sony emphasizes services
From next June, PlayStation players will be able to discover the redesign of PlayStation Plus. A merger of the current PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now that will invite players interested in Sony’s online services to choose between three formulas: Essentials, Extra or Premium. The first is none other than the cheapest subscription. A formula that looks very similar to the current PlayStation Plus, with the possibility of playing online, getting two free games per month (compared to three or four at present), as well as having access to storage in the cloud and PlayStation Store discounts. All for €8.99 per month.
This is followed by PlayStation Plus Extra, which will offer the same features as PlayStation Plus Essentials with, in addition, access to a library of 400 PS4 and PS5 titles (available for download) which should expand over the months. Big games will have to make this list, as will titles like God of War, Returnal, Mortal Kombat 11, Death Standing or Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales. Only Sony exclusives will not be included in this catalog as soon as they are released, unlike what is done on the Xbox Game Pass side. A subscription presented at €13.99 per month.
Finally, players can subscribe to a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, the formula dedicated to hardcore Sony fans. A subscription which gives access to all the functionalities already mentioned for the formulas mentioned with, in addition, the possibility of stream PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP (and also PS4 and PS5) games, as well as access to exclusive, time-limited demos. A formula displayed at €16.99 per month.
a non-negligible advantage for the premium offer
Three offers intended for the different types of players present in this low world who have their advantages and their disadvantages. And while many players consider the PlayStation Plus Premium to be too expensive for what it puts on the table, information shared recently by the Game Developer site may well change the minds of some hesitant players. According to the media, new games whose price is higher than 33 euros must necessarily include a trial version limited in time which must last at least two hours.
A policy that would not be retroactive and would not apply to PlayStation VR titles. According to Game Developer, studios will have three months after the release of their game to share a time-limited demo, which must remain available to players for at least 12 months. Note that Sony would also consider offering traditional demos rather than these two-hour trial versions. A decision that would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that it is not certain that all publishers are required to comply with these rules.
Whether Sony will be able to enforce this new policy remains to be seen. Anyway, it’s a safe bet that such demos will catch the eye of hesitant players. A more attractive Premium offer that may eventually crack some subscribers. As a reminder, this redesign of PlayStation Plus will be available in Europe from June 22. On your side, and in the event that these 2-hour demos are mandatory for games displayed at more than 33 euros, which offer would you go for? Do not hesitate to answer us via the survey below and share your reasons via the comment section.