Sony unveils new PlayStation Plus subscription service to rival Xbox Game Pass

Sony has revamped its PlayStation subscription services with the all-new PlayStation Plus (PS+). The firm has scrapped its standalone PlayStation Now service and restructured it into the PlayStation Plus Premium tier.

Sony’s Xbox Game Pass competitor offering, the new PlayStation Plus, consists of three tiers, PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium. The top tier of service will offer over 700 games for streaming or download. Sony says the games library would be regularly refreshed. PS3 games will be streaming-only, while PS1, PS2, and PSP games can be downloaded or streamed. Sony has said that first-party exclusives will not be launched into the service at any tier, while Microsoft offers the first-party exclusives as a part of its Xbox Game Pass service.

The PlayStation Plus service will launch with the likes of Death Stranding, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: miles Morales, God of War, Mortal Kombat 11, and Returnal. Sony will launch the PlayStation Plus service beginning in several Asian markets in June, trailed by North America, Europe, and other regions.

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said that indies, big games or things that celebrate PlayStation’s heritage would be featured in the service, with a lineup that would tick all sorts of boxes.