PlayStation Plus: Price, Release Date, Benefits, and everything we know so far

Sony has officially disclosed the gaming service it is developing to compete with Xbox's Game Pass, after months of whispers and conjecture. It's a hybrid of PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now that gives you access to hundreds of current and classic games, as well as new releases every month. We've known about Project Spartacus since last year; it was the codename for Sony's redesigned PlayStation Plus, which was created with the goal of revitalizing the 12-year-old membership service. Sony has finally announced what it's been working on, and while it's still called PlayStation Plus, it's far more than the subscription we've been accustomed to. For PS5 and PS4 customers, it finally appears to be a serious Xbox Game Pass challenger.

PlayStation Plus will be split into three subscription tiers starting in June – PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium – with the basic version giving you access to everything you get with the current PlayStation Plus subscription, and each tier adding more games and extras. The option to broadcast a library of classic PlayStation games is a huge (and welcome) addition to the service. Hundreds of old games will reportedly be playable through Sony's cloud gaming technology, however, the company has yet to publish a list of what we can expect.

PlayStation Plus Essential

Benefits

• 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:

• 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:

• All of the advantages from the Essential tier are included.
• Adds up to 400 of the most fun PS4 and PS5 titles, including blockbuster successes from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners. The Extra tier includes games that can be downloaded and played.

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:

• All of the perks from the Essential and Extra categories are included.
• There are a total of 340 other games, including:
• PS3 games can be streamed over the internet.
• From the original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP generations, a portfolio of beloved vintage titles is available in both streaming and download formats.
• In markets where PlayStation Now is now available, it provides cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, and PS4 games in the Extra and Premium levels. Customers may stream games on their PS4 and PS5 consoles, as well as their PCs.
• Customers will be able to test out games in this tier for a limited time before purchasing them.

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

Subscriptions will be offered at a reduced price in territories where cloud streaming is not yet accessible. You will no longer be able to subscribe to PS Now individually as a result of this change to the tiered service; instead, you will automatically become a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber at the same fee as before.

Sony Interactive Entertainment President Jim Ryan noted in a blog post on the new PlayStation Plus program that the adjustments will be phased in. "We'll start with a launch in many Asian territories in June, followed by North America, Europe, and the rest of the world where PlayStation Plus is available. By the end of the first half of 2022, we hope to have our new PlayStation Plus game subscription service live in the majority of PlayStation Network territories."

It's worth noting that PS Now allows you to stream games to your PC as well as your PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. For PC players who have never had access to Sony's old catalog, this subscription is a tantalizing possibility. It's fascinating to observe how Sony has divided the tiers. The Essential tier includes a couple of free games every month as well as access to PlayStation's online services; the Extra tier is for those who want to play only the most recent PS4 and PS5 releases, and the Premium tier is for those who want to enjoy the entire PlayStation back library.