Sony announces all-new PlayStation Plus which launches in June with 700+ games

[Marty McFourth]

Sony revamps PlayStation Plus with new Extra and Premium tiers, merges with PlayStation Now

New versions of PlayStation Plus launches in June

www.polygon.com

Sony is overhauling its PlayStation Plus service, expanding the existing subscription with two additional subscription tiers — each with their own benefits, including the addition of PlayStation Now cloud-streaming and downloadable games, as well as classic titles from the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PSP.

Starting in June, Sony will offer three tiers of PlayStation Plus: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The Essential version will effectively be the PlayStation Plus that subscribers know today, offering two monthly downloadable games, cloud storage, and access to online multiplayer. PlayStation Plus Essential will cost $59.99 per year, the service’s existing price.

PlayStation Plus Extra ($99.99 annually) and Premium ($119.99 annually) will offer subscribers “a library that will be regularly refreshed,” according to Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. At launch, that library will include Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal.

Premium tier subscribers will also get access to original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP games, as well as time-limited game trials. No tier promises to provide day-one access to new releases, à la Xbox Game Pass. In an interview with GamesIndustry, Ryan said, “We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, [...] the level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want.”

Here’s the pricing for each new tier of PS Plus, and what’s included in each, from Sony’s PlayStation Blog:

PLAYSTATION PLUS ESSENTIAL​

• Two monthly downloadable games
• Exclusive discounts
• Cloud storage for saved games
• Online multiplayer access

PRICE:​

• United States — $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly
• Europe — €8.99 monthly / €24.99 quarterly / €59.99 yearly
• United Kingdom — £6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly
• Japan — ¥850 monthly / ¥2,150 quarterly / ¥5,143 yearly

PLAYSTATION PLUS EXTRA​

Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier

Adds a catalog of up to 400 of PS4 and PS5 games — including games from the PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party publishers. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.

PRICE:​

• United States — $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly
• Europe — €13.99 monthly / €39.99 quarterly / €99.99 yearly
• United Kingdom — £10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly
• Japan — ¥1,300 monthly / ¥3,600 quarterly / ¥8,600 yearly

PLAYSTATION PLUS PREMIUM​

Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers

Adds up to 340 additional games, including:

• PS3 games available via cloud streaming
• A catalog of classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PSP generations

Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.

Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.

PRICE:​

• United States — $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly
• Europe — €16.99 monthly / €49.99 quarterly / €119.99 yearly
• United Kingdom — £13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly
• Japan — ¥1,550 – monthly / ¥4,300 – quarterly / ¥10,250 yearly

Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service launched in 2010, and initially offered subscribers access to digital bonuses like free games, game trials, and other perks for $49.99 per year. Sony later made PlayStation Plus a requirement for online play on PlayStation 4, and raised the price of an annual subscription to $59.99 in 2016.

PlayStation Now, which cost $59.99 annually or $9.99 per month, launched in 2014. The service offers cloud-streaming games from PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, and is playable on PS4, PS5, and Windows PC. Sony says the stand-alone PS Now service will go away with the arrival of new PlayStation Plus tiers.

 

[Marty McFourth]

I'm liking the sound of titles from PS1, PS2 and PSP being downloadable. They might get me trying this out.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

I'm liking the sound of titles from PS1, PS2 and PSP being downloadable. They might get me trying this out.

vita would be nice!

 

[Marty McFourth]

vita would be nice!

They always seem to forget about the Vita, but it had some really nice gems. I loved my PSP, I can remember playing GTA Vice City Stories & The Warriors.

 

[Deezy]

"Playable on PS4"..... I like this sentence

 

[Marty McFourth]

Sony reportedly now requires some PlayStation developers make time-limited game demos for Plus Premium

The pricier new PlayStation Plus Premium subscription will include time-limited game trials - and now Sony has reported…

www.eurogamer.net

The pricier new PlayStation Plus Premium subscription will include time-limited game trials - and now Sony has reportedly informed some developers it will need to ensure it provides them.

According to a GameDeveloper report, PlayStation has updated its developer guidelines to state that a game demo lasting at least two hours will now be required for any title which costs $34 or higher (around £27).

This rule is not retroactive, so will only apply to games currently in development and not yet released. Additionally, developers will have a three-month grace period after a game launches before this trial must be made available.

There's nothing in the report on what would happen if a developer fails to provide such a trial.

Sony has reportedly told developers these trials should be available to Plus Premium subscribers for at least 12 months. An alternative custom demo can also be provided - not needing to be two hours long - but this will only be approved on a case-by-case basis.

This afternoon, Sony emailed PlayStation Plus subscribers with a breakdown of what to expect in each PlayStation Plus tier, and to remind you that your existing membership will migrate.

PlayStation Plus Essential (£6.99 monthly / £19.99 quarterly / £49.99 yearly) is the new name for what is essentially the current Plus offering: monthly downloadable games, discounts, cloud storage and online multiplayer.

PlayStation Plus Extra (£10.99 monthly / £31.99 quarterly / £83.99 yearly) adds "400 of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games" including some Sony first-party titles which are more than one year old, such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Returnal.

PlayStation Plus Premium (£13.49 monthly / £39.99 quarterly / £99.99 yearly) adds a further 340 games from PS3, PS2, PS1 and PSP to stream and/or download depending on platform, as well as those time-limited demos.

"Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy," the email reads, as seen by Eurogamer.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Sony Reveals First Selection of Titles as Part of New PlayStation Plus Service

After teasing fans with their own version of the Xbox Game Pass, Sony has unveiled the first titles as part of their upcoming PlayStation Plus subscription service. The list includes several classics for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members to enjoy, including several genre titles...

bloody-disgusting.com

After teasing fans with their own version of the Xbox Game Pass, Sony has unveiled the first titles as part of their upcoming PlayStation Plus subscription service. The list includes several classics for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members to enjoy, including several genre titles.

For starters, PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe subscribers of the horror-inclined gain access to the following PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles:

• Bloodborne | FromSoftware, PS4
• Days Gone | Bend Studio, PS4
• Dead Nation Apocalypse Edition | Housemarque, PS4
• Death Stranding and Death Stranding Director’s Cut | Kojima Productions, PS4/PS5
• Demon’s Souls | Bluepoint Games, PS5
• Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut | Sucker Punch, PS4/ PS5
• God of War | Santa Monica Studio, PS4
• MediEvil | Other Ocean, PS4
• Returnal | Housemarque, PS5
• The Last of Us Remastered | Naughty Dog, PS4
• The Last of Us: Left Behind | Naughty Dog, PS4
• Until Dawn | Supermassive Games, PS4
• Control: Ultimate Edition | 505 Games, PS4/PS5
• Dead Cells | Motion Twin, PS4
• Hollow Knight | Team Cherry, PS4
• Mortal Kombat 11 | WB Games, PS4/PS5
• Resident Evil | Capcom Co., Ltd, PS4

PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members will also have access to classic titles. Select Classics will have improved frame rates/resolutions. Select PSP/PS1 will also have new UI for save states and rewind features. Players who own select digital PSP/PS1 games can access those with no PS+ sub required. Among the initial titles available for genre fans

• Syphon Filter | Bend Studio, Original PlayStation
• Siren | Japan Studio, PS4
• Bioshock Remastered | 2K Games, PS4
• Borderlands The Handsome Collection | 2K Games, PS4
• Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition | Gearbox Publishing, PS4

As for PS3 titles, they will also be available for PlayStation Plus Premium users, though they will be streaming only.

• Demon’s Souls | From Software, PS3
• Infamous: Festival of Blood | Sucker Punch, PS3
• Resistance 3 | Insomniac Games, PS3
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 | Konami, PS3
• Devil May Cry HD Collection | Capcom Co., Ltd., PS3
• F.E.A.R. | WB Games, PS3
• Lost Planet 2 | Capcom Co., Ltd., PS3
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 | Koei Tecmo, PS3
• Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare |Rockstar Games, PS3

PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe Plan holders will also be able to enjoy time-limited demos. After downloading a trial of the full game, you can play it for two hours for most games – the playtime counter only counts while you are in the game.

As before with the previous PlayStation Plus service, new games will be swapped in each month. The revamped service launches first in Asia on May 24, followed by Japan on June 2, North and South America on June 13, and finally Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on June 23.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

I heard WWE2k22 gonna be one of the rentals

 

[Butters]

I believe it will be part of the timed trials which is around 2 hours of gameplay. Seems like you get the full game for 2 hours to do whatever you want but once the timer hits 2 hours it's locked unless you buy it.

 

[Deezy]

God Of War, Bioshock and Borderlands....gimme gimme gimme.

 

[Marty McFourth]

God Of War, Bioshock and Borderlands....gimme gimme gimme.

First BioShock rules. The atmosphere I feel is pretty unmatched when you enter Rapture for the first time.

 

[Butters]

I really enjoyed the beginning when you crash in the plane and swim to the entrance. after that i was pretty let down.

 

[Marty McFourth]

I really enjoyed the beginning when you crash in the plane and swim to the entrance. after that i was pretty let down.

I loved it. Biggest gripe for me was trying to get used to the combat, I just sucked so badly.

 

[Butters]

I've been meaning to try the remasters because I didn't give it a fair shot but I just haven't got around to it.

 

[Deezy]

I've been meaning to try the remasters because I didn't give it a fair shot but I just haven't got around to it.

Had to pay $80 for the Mass Effect remaster....worth it.

Hopefully the new launch ain't like that again.