Since 2010, Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service has delivered premium features to millions of players across the globe. For more than a decade, the subscription service has become an essential PSN feature with players anticipating the free games each month. As one of PSN’s most successful features, Sony is continuously evolving the service. Speaking of evolution, the gaming giant recently announced the biggest change to the service and fans are loving it. With that said, let’s take a quick overview of the PS Plus changes recently announced through the PlayStation Blog.
PlayStation Plus Tiers
The first and most notable change in PlayStation Plus is that players now have a chance to choose from three tiers. Unlike before when players enjoyed the same benefits, the new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers will give those who want to expand their online experience a chance to do so. For the most part, the three tiers are designed for casual, moderate, and hardcore players. Hence, it provides everyone to get the most out of their buck.
Tier 1 PlayStation Plus Essential
PlayStation Plus essential is a rebrand of the current PS Plus service. It means players will have access to two free downloadable games each month, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for games, and online multiplayer access. Furthermore, players who are currently subscribed to the service will experience no changes or added benefits on this tier. The subscription price will also stay the same.
- 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
Tier 2 PlayStation Plus Extra
This tier is an upgrade from the first tier. Therefore, players who choose this service will enjoy all the benefits of the first tier. The word “extra” refers to a catalog of up to 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. Furthermore, players will be able to download the games on the catalog for playing. Therefore, for an extra payment each month, you will have access to the best exclusive and third-party titles on the platform. The price for this tier are as follows:
- 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
Tier 3 PlayStation Plus Premium
This tier is what you consider the hardcore tier. That’s because players who subscribe to this service will have access to all the features of PlayStation Plus Essential and PlayStation Plus Extra. On top of those, subscribers to this tier will also have access to up to 340 additional PS3 games available through cloud streaming. It includes games from the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. Moreover, this tier will also offer cloud streaming access offered in the other tiers through PlayStation Now. The games can be streamed using a PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 console. On top of those, subscribers will also have access to time-limited game trials. It means that subscribers will be able to try out a game before purchasing. The subscription for PlayStation Plus Premium is as follows:
- 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 x PlayStation Now
At the time of the launch, PSNs cloud streaming service PlayStation Now will automatically become part of the newly revamped service. PlayStation Now subscribers will be automatically enrolled in the PlayStation Plus premium without extra charges. Therefore, it’s a great way for fans of the classic PlayStation games to test drive the highest PlayStation Plus tier.
The new PlayStation Plus is scheduled to launch in Asia in June with North America, Europe, and other territories that offer PlayStation Plus following after. With this new subscription service, Sony aims to provide a more expansive online experience to its massive community of players.
A Supplement for Backward Compatibility
For years, the PlayStation community has been requesting Sony to integrate a backward compatibility feature into their console. Despite the rumors and speculations, the feature was never implemented into the system. From the look of things, the new subscription tiers with the built-in PlayStation Now streaming service is the closest feature that the community will get. With that in mind, if you’re one of those players who accumulated a plethora of games from the various PlayStation generation, then, you better take care of your old console if you want to play the classics. Otherwise, you can just subscribe to the highest tier. Furthermore, stay tuned for more updates and news about all-things Playstation here at PlayPC.
