PlayStation Plus changes

[Sledgstone 8,672]

https://blog.playstation.com/2022/03/29/all-new-playstation-plus-launches-in-june-with-700-games-and-more-value-than-ever/

PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now are merging into the new PlayStation Plus and the membership will now become a tiered system:

 

Quote

 

PlayStation Plus Essential

Benefits

• Provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are getting today, such as:
  • Two monthly downloadable games
  • Exclusive discounts
  • Cloud storage for saved games
  • Online multiplayer access
• There are no changes for existing PlayStation Plus members in this tier.

Price* for PlayStation Plus Essential remains the same as the current price for PlayStation Plus.

• United States
  • $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly
• Europe
  • €8.99 monthly / €24.99 quarterly / €59.99 yearly
• United Kingdom
  • £6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly 
• Japan
  • ¥850 monthly / ¥2,150 quarterly / ¥5,143 yearly

PlayStation Plus Extra

Benefits

• Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier
• Adds a catalog of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.

Price*

• United States
  • $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly
• Europe
  • €13.99 monthly / €39.99 quarterly / €99.99 yearly
• United Kingdom
  • £10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly 
• Japan
  • ¥1,300 monthly / ¥3,600 quarterly / ¥8,600 yearly

PlayStation Plus Premium**

Benefits

• Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers
• Adds up to 340* additional games, including:
  • PS3 games available via cloud streaming
  • A catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations 
• 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, and PC.*** 
• Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.

Price*

• United States
  • $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly
• Europe
  • €16.99 monthly / €49.99 quarterly / €119.99 yearly
• United Kingdom
  • £13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly 
• Japan
  • ¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly

• PlayStation Plus Deluxe (Select Markets) For markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be offered at a lower price compared to Premium, and includes a catalog of beloved classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations to download and play, along with time-limited game trials. Benefits from Essential and Extra tiers are also included. Local pricing will vary by market.

I'll be sticking with PlayStation Plus Essential assuming I can still buy yearly memberships on sale for around $30-$40 like I've been doing since before the PS4 launched. I'm barely getting any use out of PS+ as it is with the games they've been offering for the last year so if I have to start paying a monthly fee I'll just cancel it instead.

In comparison to the PS+ Extra, I've recently used Xbox PC game pass which I got a 3 month trial for $1 on black friday weekend last year. I don't have an Xbox so I was only using the lowest tier of the PC version which I suppose is the Microsoft Xbox PC version of PlayStation Plus Extra. It is an ok service but with the amount of time I have to dedicate to gaming I was only able to play and beat 2 games in those 3 months. I'm glad the xbox pc game pass came with EA Access since I was able to play and beat Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. EA Access itself didn't appeal to me because on the PC game pass its basically 70% sports titles. I was also able to play and beat Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and that game wasn't nearly as good as the first. Both games retail for around $14 and $7 when on sale so I saved roughly $20 with my $1 free trial. But if it was to pay $10 a month for the service I would have been in the hole $9 compared to if I bought those 2 games instead. For me and my available time to play games a subscription service is not a savings to me. Theres alot of people that could benefit from a game subscription service and I'm glad its an option for them.

I will say tho, for people that have an Xbox console and a game subscription service is beneficial to them, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has console and pc game pass combined along with xbox games with gold free monthly games, and that is a far better deal that PlayStation Plus Deluxe for the same price of $14.99 a month. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also includes console and pc games that can be played from the cloud too kind of like Nvidia's GeForce Now streaming.

[Myk JL 1,731]

I'm sticking to PlayStation Plus Essential.

TLDR Version.

Remember when

• Sony was desperate enough to start giving away "free" games with PS+?
• Microsoft started copying PS+, but there 360 Games are actually free on GWG?
• THQ (& by extension Valve) were desperate enough to sell Steam Keys through Humble Bundle?

Times have changed. Now

• Sony is trying to save its other services by calling them PS+.
• Microsoft will eventually destroy GWG once more people switch to their other service I don't want.
• Valve is trying to sell people on Steam OS, which doesn't play their entire Steam Library.

I miss the days when they were actually desperate instead of just greedy.

[Myk JL 1,731]

If there are people out there who have PS Now cards who can't use them, Sony better offer refunds.