A few months after Microsoft announced their plans to increase Game Pass subscription prices, Sony is now following suit by raising the annual prices for all three PlayStation Plus plans, effective September 6th.
The Essential subscription, previously priced at $60 per year, will now cost $80 annually. The Extra plan will see a $35 increase, bringing the annual cost to $135, and the Premium plan will be $40 more expensive at $160 per year. However, these price changes will not affect current PS Plus users on an annual plan until their next renewal date on or after November 6th. Any changes made to the plan between September 6th and November 6th, such as upgrading or downgrading tiers, will be subject to the new pricing.
For now, there haven’t been any announcements regarding changes to the monthly ($10 for Essential, $15 for Extra, and $18 for Premium) or quarterly ($25 for Essential, $40 for Extra, and $50 for Premium) plans. Sony emphasizes that the annual plan remains a more cost-effective option compared to the monthly or quarterly subscriptions in the long run.
If you want to take advantage of the current prices, you still have a few days to add an extra year (or more) to your existing PS Plus plan. It is unknown whether waiting until Black Friday might yield better deals, so if you have the funds available, now may be the opportune time to extend your subscription.
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Sony justifies the price increase by stating that it will enable them to continue delivering high-quality games and value-added benefits to the PlayStation Plus subscription service. However, this reasoning might be questioned considering the games that will be available in September, which have received average or poor reviews. The three monthly games for all three tiers are the reboot of “Saints Row,” “Black Desert – Traveler Edition,” and “Generation Zero.”
While PlayStation Plus and Game Pass offer somewhat different offerings, it’s worth noting that PS Plus tends to be less expensive compared to the equivalent Game Pass tiers. An annual PS Plus Essential plan saves gamers $52 compared to a year with Xbox Game Pass, and a 12-month PS Plus Premium membership is $44 cheaper than Game Pass Ultimate over the same period.
However, it’s important to mention that Microsoft’s Game Pass offers access to all of their first-party games upon release, a feature that Sony currently cannot match. Microsoft’s new Game Pass Core tier, which will replace Xbox Live Gold, is priced at $60 per year and includes full online multiplayer access as well as an initial library of 25 games.
In conclusion, Sony’s decision to increase the prices of their PlayStation Plus plans follows in the footsteps of Microsoft’s Game Pass price hike. While there might be some discontent among gamers regarding this change, it’s essential to consider the overall value of the subscription service and the cost comparison with other similar platforms. Ultimately, the decision on whether to continue with or switch subscriptions will depend on individual gaming preferences and budgetary considerations.
