Xbox Game Pass has undeniably changed the way people think about games. Just a few years ago, gamers would wait for sales on games that they were apprehensive about picking up, but Xbox Game Pass has shifted that view into simply waiting for new games to appear on the subscription service. It's been undeniably popular, so much so that even PlayStation is now reportedly planning a competitor to the service.
A report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier detailed a new subscription service in the works at PlayStation that would include both "modern and classic" games. According to the report, the service is codenamed Spartacus and will launch sometime in the spring for both the PS4 and the PS5. Additionally, Spartacus will apparently merge PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, Sony's current major subscription services. The plan is reportedly to keep the PlayStation Plus name, but get rid of PlayStation Now, which hasn't had as much of an impact as PlayStation Plus has.
The subscription will reportedly include distinct tiers that grant users a wider library of games as they move up. For instance, the report details one tier that includes the current PlayStation Plus benefits while another adds PS4 games to the mix, with PS5 games supposedly also being added at some point. Finally, a third tier would also include streaming for PS1, PS2, and PSP games, as well as "extended demos." It's worth noting, however, that these tiers haven't been finalized, so things are subject to change.
In addition to the subscription service changes, the report also states that Sony is planning to invest more heavily in streaming technology, which would help facilitate streaming older games from the final tier. Cloud gaming has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years, though its reception has been mixed. While the technology does seem like the future, internet infrastructure in major markets, specifically the United States, is too weak to fully support it. However, better streaming technology can help to alleviate the issue.
It makes sense that Sony is considering a competitor for Xbox Game Pass. Game Pass has had a major positive effect on the way Xbox is perceived, and Sony has failed to offer any significant alternative. However, Sony has also hinted in the past that a PlayStation competitor was a possibility, though it also hinted that it might not include newly released exclusives as Xbox does. PlayStation consoles have outsold Xbox consoles for years, but the lack of a Game Pass-style subscription has been a major drawback on the platform.
Source: Bloomberg