For example, they recently did not think that major PlayStation games like Horizon or God of War would come to PC – and yet it happened:
So I don’t want to cement anything at this point. I’m only talking about the approach we’re going to take in the short term. As our release model currently works, it doesn’t make sense. But things can change very quickly in this industry, as we all know.
Jim Ryan, PlayStation CEO
What do you think of this topic? Is the new PS Plus still interesting to you – or do you definitely need exclusive releases in the offering? Let us know in the comments.
And if you’re still looking for a PS5: Stay updated with the PS5 ticker.
Sony has announced a new PS Plus model, which includes a large game catalog and streaming options. However, the service will initially skip major exclusive releases – unlike the Xbox Game Pass.
This is the new PS Plus: The new version of PS Plus will launch in June and offer 3 different tiers.
- PS Plus Essential, which is basically the previous PS Plus package
- PlayStation Plus Extra – With 400 additional games available for download
- PlayStation Plus Premium – With 340 additional games available for streaming
A detailed overview of the new PS Plus versions can be found here.
In terms of its basic orientation, it resembles the subscription model of the competition, the Xbox Game Pass.
However, while Microsoft has frequently provided major new games like Halo Infinite or the acclaimed Total War: Warhammer 3 directly at launch in the Game Pass, such plans are not currently in place for Sony. This was explained by PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan in an interview with GamesIndustry.
PlayStation CEO says: It doesn’t make sense right now
This is what Jim Ryan says: In the interview, Ryan emphasizes that they are currently in a positive cycle with the studios creating major games for PlayStation: “Investments lead to success, which in turn enables further investments that lead to even more success. We like this cycle and we believe our players like this cycle too.”
So far, they have not released their own games directly in subscription services – and they want to maintain this: “We believe that this cycle will be interrupted if we do this with the games we develop at PlayStation Studios.”
The investments made in studios would not be possible if they changed their approach: “We believe that the impact on the quality of the games we develop would not be in the interest of the players,” Ryan said.
The pricing policy also plays a role. More than two-thirds of PS Plus users would currently opt for an annual subscription, explains Ryan. When broken down to 12 months, the Premium option would cost €9.99 per month, while the Extra option would cost €8.33: “That simply would not be possible if we were to include our studio games in the service upon their release,” said the PlayStation CEO.
Will this be forever? The CEO leaves a backdoor open nonetheless: “The world is changing so quickly that nothing is for sure”, Ryan said.
For example, they recently did not think that major PlayStation games like Horizon or God of War would come to PC – and yet it happened:
So I don’t want to cement anything at this point. I’m only talking about the approach we’re going to take in the short term. As our release model currently works, it doesn’t make sense. But things can change very quickly in this industry, as we all know.
Jim Ryan, PlayStation CEO
What do you think of this topic? Is the new PS Plus still interesting to you – or do you definitely need exclusive releases in the offering? Let us know in the comments.
And if you’re still looking for a PS5: Stay updated with the PS5 ticker.
