Users have long demanded an upgrade for the subscription services PS Plus and PS Now. And that could come as early as 2022. Therefore, a Game Pass for PS4 and PS5 could be the biggest thing in 2022.
If you want to play multiplayer games online on your PS4 or PS5, you usually need PS Plus. This is a paid subscription for PlayStation. However, there are a handful of games that you can play online without PS Plus.
But users have been watching the competition for a while and wish for an upgrade for PS Plus. Microsoft demonstrates with the Xbox Game Pass how it should be done. Here, you pay around 13 euros a month and can play current titles without extra charges.
A Game Pass for the PS4 and PS5 could become the biggest thing in 2022 for gamers.
Currently, Sony relies on multiple subscription models for PS4 and PS5
What is the current situation? As of now (13.01.2022), there are PS Plus and PS Now for the PS4 and PS5.
- With PlayStation Now, you get access to Sony’s streaming service for 9.99 euros a month. Here you can primarily stream old PS games. However, this requires a correspondingly fast Internet connection.
- You need PS Plus if you want to play online with other users on your PS5 console. The price is 8.99 euros a month. As a bonus, you receive a few free games every month.
However, there have been rumors for a while that Sony allegedly wants to introduce its own Game Pass for PS4 and PS5. Behind the code name “Spartacus” is supposedly a completely new subscription model that Sony supposedly wants to offer as a new competitor to Microsoft’s Game Pass. A multi-tier subscription model is planned:
- The first tier would include the known benefits of PS Plus such as multiplayer and some free games.
- The second tier would, similar to the Game Pass, provide some PS4 games for free.
- The third tier would offer extended demos, game streaming, and a library of classic PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games.
A Game Pass on PS4 and PS5 could appeal to many gamers
There has long been criticism from users that Sony’s subscription model is no longer up-to-date. Many users wish for a new subscription or at least a meaningful upgrade. Some players even go so far as to say they want to switch from the PS5 to Xbox with Game Pass (via reddit.com).
With the PS Plus Collection with 20 free games, Sony has at least expanded PS Plus for PS5 owners, but many long-time PlayStation fans probably already own or have played them.
That’s why a Game Pass is important: With a Game Pass for PlayStation, Sony could fill an important gap and reach a larger user base. Many users are certainly willing to spend a bit more for better rewards.
And Sony might have another ace up its sleeve with movies or series. At least, there is speculation that Sony could expand PS Plus with a movie subscription to make PS Plus more interesting for more users. Many users are already using their consoles as multimedia platforms.
- Sony previously experimented with a video pass in combination with PS Plus but removed it after some time (via venturebeat.com).
- The film sales in the in-house PS Store were also discontinued in mid-2021 due to lack of interest (via heise.de)
Only the Xbox Game Pass from Microsoft has shown how sustainably gaming can be transformed with it.
The Xbox Game Pass has already sustainably changed gaming
Xbox head Phil Spencer explained in an interview that many publishers were afraid to put their games in the Xbox Game Pass. They feared that the Game Pass could devalue the game and reduce sales.
However, the opposite has actually occurred. Users continue to buy games despite the subscription, and users are willing to spend more money on games. By now, the Game Pass is said to have over 30 million subscribers, more than half of whom joined in 2021 (via xboxdynasty.de).
Today, Microsoft releases exclusive first-party titles and full-price games in the Xbox Game Pass. With a subscription, users can play the game directly without paying for it. In the year 2021, players were able to save 5500 euros with the Game Pass compared to the new purchase of games.
And the Game Pass is not only a strong offer for gamers. Publishers also benefit from it, as many games have already successfully run through the subscription model:
- Games like Outriders have been very successful thanks to Game Pass, reaching millions of players. According to Square Enix, they had more than 3 million active users after release.
- The Ascent has also been a huge success for publisher Digital Curve, thanks to Game Pass (via jpgames.com).
The situation is still different on PS4 and PS5: On PS4 and PS5, you still have to buy each title at full price to this day – unless you wait for corresponding offers or discounts in the PS Store. In rare cases, Sony directly includes a new game in the PS Plus subscription. This was the case with Rocket League or the party game Fall Guys. Here, Sony decided to release a brand new game directly with PS Plus.
