Highlights
- PlayStation Plus offers subscribers monthly games, online multiplayer, discounts, and exclusive content, with access to hundreds of games from the PS5, PS4, and classic PlayStation libraries. The price recently increased.
- Sony revamped the service last year to include three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Extra and Premium subscribers can download PS5, PS4, and classic games. However, unlike Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation does not offer its AAA first-party titles at launch.
- PlayStation senior vice president Eric Lempel defended the price increase and stated that consumers are happy with the tiered subscription model. He also emphasized the difference between PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass.
PlayStation senior vice president Eric Lempel shared his thoughts on the recent PS Plus price increase and why the company's first-party games aren't included on day one like its competitor, Xbox Game Pass. The PS Plus subscription service currently offers players monthly games to claim and download, access to online multiplayer, discounts, and other exclusive content. Depending on the tier, subscribers also gain access to hundreds of games from the PS5, PS4, and classic PlayStation libraries. Also depending on tier, the service is now $20 to $40 more expensive per year than it was just a couple of months ago.
Sony revamped their service last year to include additional subscription options. The three tiers of PS Plus are referred to as Essential, Extra, and Premium. The Essential tier is more or less the same as the original PS Plus subscription, offering multiplayer, monthly games, discounts, and a handful of other benefits. The Extra and Premium levels, however, offer catalogs of downloadable games. Extra subscribers can download included PS5 and PS4 games, while Premium users can also play games from PlayStation's library of classic titles. This is similar to Xbox's popular Game Pass service, but PlayStation doesn't offer its AAA first-party titles at launch on the platform like its competitor.
In a recent interview with Barron's, PlayStation senior vice president Eric Lempel was asked about the recent PS Plus price hike and why the company's first-party games aren't included at launch. He more or less defended the price increase and suggested consumers appear to be happy with the new tiered subscription model PlayStation began offering last year. As an interesting tidbit, he added that a third of PS Plus users are subscribed to one of the two upper tiers.
Lempel also commented about the omission of first-party games on PS Plus in comparison to its competitor, Xbox Game Pass. Lempel coyly stated that the two services are "very different." The VP did say that services come down to the "type" and "quality" of the games being offered before adding that he "can't comment on what the competition is doing."
When it comes to Sony offering first-party titles on PS Plus at launch, the industry leader opts for a more premium release akin to how blockbuster movies go to theaters before landing on streaming services. Perhaps the best argument against this methodology, however, comes in the form of Xbox's recent console exclusive, Starfield. While some feared the game wouldn't be a top seller due to its inclusion on Game Pass, Starfield still sold amazingly in its first month. Not to mention, Xbox set a record for most subscribers in one day thanks to the popular RPG.
It's worth pointing out that it's not a perfect comparison for many reasons. Not to mention, PlayStation's approach does seem to work quite well for them. PlayStation's best first-party games are some of the highest-rated titles and top-selling titles on the market. So long as this is the case, it is unlikely that gamers will see AAA first-party titles on PS Plus.