Sony is in the process of making major changes to its subscription services, merging PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus. The new service, simply dubbed PlayStation Plus, is split into three tiers designed to cater to different needs and budgets. The first tier, PS Plus Essential, offers what PS Plus has had for years, while the next tier, PS Plus Extra, adds a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games for subscribers to download. For the most hardcore gamers, there is also PS Plus Premium, which adds another 340 games as well as game trials for $17.99 a month or $119.99 a year.
PS Plus Premium may seem like an attractive offer, but there is also a hefty price tag attached to it. While access to Sony's catalog of games from older generations may be appealing to some gamers, it may not justify the cost to all. Furthermore, without day one releases, it does struggle to compete against other gaming subscription services.
What Does PS Plus Premium Offer?
A subscription to PS Plus is vital for any gamers who enjoy multiplayer games, as many require a subscription in order to go online. All the subscription tiers also offer two free monthly PS4 games and a free PS5 game, which subscribers can play for as long as their subscription is active. Other perks include cloud storage for saved games and exclusive discounts for games and DLC on the PS Store.
Sony has revealed some PS4 and PS5 games that will be offered with PS Plus Extra and PS Premium, and they should appeal to a wide range of gamers. As expected, several of Sony's first-party studios make a showing, including Housemarque who brings Returnal, Resogun, and Alienation, and Naughty Dog who brings The Last of Us and Uncharted 4.Other PlayStation Studios games include, but are not limited to, Marvel's Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, Until Dawn, Bloodborne, and Days Gone. Plenty of third-party games will also make up the list of up to 400 games, including Control: Ultimate Edition, Red Dead Redemption 2, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Mortal Kombat 11.
PS Plus Premium subscribers also enjoy the privilege of game trials, allowing them to try games out for two hours before deciding whether to purchase them or not. Any trophies earned during the trial session carry over if the game is purchased, and the catalog of available games includes both PS4 and PS5 titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.
For gamers who are looking for access to a large catalog of games they intend to play and perhaps never return to, a PS Plus Extra subscription should be sufficient. Game trials are also useful, but that feature alone is not enough to upgrade from Extra to Premium. However, PS Plus Premium does have a few extra perks that may appeal to a subsection of gamers.
PS Plus Premium is Great for Retro Gamers
Sony's upper tier subscription service offers a large catalog of PS3 games that can be played on PC, PS4, and PS5. Revealed titles include Demon's Souls, Infamous 2, and Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, to name a few. PS Plus Premium also offers an exclusive catalog of classic PSP and PS1 games, and some titles will enjoy a bump in framerates and resolution. Older games on the PSP and PS1 have been made more accessible thanks to the ability to save at any time and rewind, a feature that is useful for redoing sections of a game after making a mistake. Some titles revealed include Tekken 2, Ape Escape, and Hot Shots Golf.
Sony has made it clear that the catalog will not remain stagnant, and in the middle of each month, a refresh will occur. The number of games changed will vary, which should give gamers a good variety of games to pick from regularly. For PlayStation gamers who are fond of playing older games, PS Plus Premium is a convenient way to access Sony's vast catalog. Furthermore, the additional features added to PSP and PS1 games make them easier for modern players to jump into. For a long time, backwards compatibility has been a sore spot for PlayStation, but PS Plus Premium may be the first step toward correcting that.
PS Plus Premium Lacks Features Other Gaming Subscription Services Have
Although PS Plus Premium offers plenty of perks, especially for retro gamers, there are a few features it lacks that other services have. Most notably, there are no day one releases. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan states that Sony will not be going down that road because it would impact the quality of the games the company produces, which is an approach that differs greatly from Microsoft's style, which has AAA titles appearing on Xbox Game Pass as soon as they are released.
There is also the price difference to consider. The most expensive Xbox Game Pass subscription, Ultimate, costs $14.99 per month, which is a tad more economical than PS Plus Premium's $17.99 price tag. Of course, the price difference is insignificant if one's favorite games are PlayStation exclusives, or if PlayStation is one's primary gaming platform.
Sony's overhaul of its subscriptions is very welcome, as it allows gamers to access all of PlayStation's services in one place. Furthermore, the inclusion of different tiers ensures that gamers can decide which subscription level best suits their needs. PS Plus Premium is ideal for gamers who want to play PlayStation's rich catalog of games which stretches back to PSP, PS1, and PS3. Furthermore, for gamers who are interested in trying out games for an hour or two before they make a purchase, the top-end subscription service will also prove useful. However, for gamers who are more interested in playing the latest games, or who are not particularly picky about what platform they are playing on, PS Plus Extra, or even Xbox Game Pass, are also reasonable choices.