14 DAY TRIAL // Sony’s long-rumored Spartacus subscription program has just been officialized and judging by what’s included, it’s obvious that it’s trying to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. Three new subscription tiers are now available for PlayStation console owners, each aimed at a different category of players.
The main drawbacks of Sony’s new PlayStation membership services are that it doesn’t work on PC, and it won’t have games on launch day. Although some of the memberships include access to cloud streaming on PC, not all PlayStation games are streamable and the experience is far from what Microsoft is offering.
That being said, if you don’t like what Sony has done with its console membership service by uniting PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, you can stay on your current membership tier, which doesn’t change at all.
So, the current PlayStation Plus membership tier will transition to a new name – PlayStation Pluss Essential but will retain all the benefits: two monthly downloadable games, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved games, online multiplayer access.
Price for PlayStation Plus Essential remains the same as the current price for PlayStation Plus: $10 / €9 / £7 monthly; $25 / €25 / £20 quarterly; $60 / €60 / £50 yearly.
PlayStation Plus Extra provides all the benefits from the Essential tier but adds a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games, including blockbuster hits from PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. All games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.
Of course, the price for Plus Extra is higher than the Plus Essential tier: $15 / €14 / £11 monthly; $40 / €40 / £32 quarterly; $100 / €100 / £84 yearly.
The third and most expensive PlayStation membership service is Plus Premium (Plus Deluxe in select markets). PlayStation Plus Premium provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers but adds up to 340 additional games, including PS3 games available via cloud streaming, and a catalog of classic games available in both streaming and downloadable options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations.
Also, the Plus Premium tier offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets where PlayStation now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, as well as PC (not available in Japan). Finally, subscribers to this tier will also get access to time-limited game trials, so they can try select games before they buy.
It's important to mention that for markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be offered at a lower price compared to Premium and includes a catalog of classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP generations to download and play, along with time-limited game trials. Local pricing will vary by market.
According to Sony, these new console membership console services will launch in June, but the Japanese company is providing an early look at its new PlayStation Plus subscription service today.
Also, Sony revealed that when the new Extra and Premium tiers launch in June, they will include titles such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal.
Keep in mind that if you’re a PlayStation Now subscriber, this service will transition into the new PlayStation Plus offering and will no longer be available as a standalone service. All PlayStation now customers will migrate over to PlayStation Plus Premium with no increase to their current subscription fees at launch.
Finally, the all-new PlayStation Plus service will not be available in all countries at launch. Sony announced that it will rollout the console service in a phased regional approach. So, in the June timeframe, the service will be available in several markets in Asia, followed by North America, Europe and the rest of the world where PlayStation Plus is offered.
Sony aims to have most PlayStation Network territories live with its new PlayStation Plus game subscription service by the end of the first half of 2022. Also, the company plans to expand its cloud streaming benefit to additional markets.