But, if a recent report is to be believed, this is all about to change next week.
According to Bloomberg, the PlayStation Game Pass competitor could be announced “as early as” next week. Unfortunately, Bloomberg’s report wasn’t all good news, as it claimed that the initial inclusions will come with recent and popular PlayStation titles, but not AAA exclusives like God of War: Ragnarok, which might come out in either June or September, depending on which sources you believe. As per earlier intel, the Game Pass competitor from Sony will come with three price tiers, with the cheapest tier similar to PlayStation Plus. As you move up the price point, the second tier will include PS4 and possibly even PS5 games and “access to extended demos and the ability to stream games over the internet,” which sounds a lot like PlayStation Now. Finally, the third and highest tier will reportedly include a library of classic PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Plus titles. Naturally, fans were excited to hear that Sony is finally pushing back against Microsoft’s Game Pass. Even when combined, PS Now and PS Plus pale in comparison to the Game Pass. Admittedly, both of Sony’s current subscription services do have good months, such as when it had a solid lineup this March with its first day one launch. However, these are all routine for the Game Pass. A few days ago, Microsoft secured a handful of third-party titles coming to the Game Pass the day they launch, further widening the gap between its competition. To make matters worse, the chasm will only grow with the likes of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI both coming to the Game Pass on day one. With Spartacus, Sony is giving PlayStation users a reason to celebrate, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to compete directly against the Game Pass either. Instead of focusing on new and upcoming titles, Sony’s Game Pass competitor looks like it will rely on Sony’s admittedly massive catalog of first-party games. The good news here is that Sony could undercut the Game Pass in price. Combined, an annual subscription to PS Now and PS Plus will set users back $120 annually. This is the same price as the Game Pass alone ($9.99 a month x 12) and it’s lower compared to the Game Pass Ultimate ($14.99 a month x 12). If the recent reports of Sony converting PS Now subscribers to PS Plus and PS Plus subscribers getting PS Now benefits are true, a $60 annual subscription for both is a steal. All that Sony needs to do is to give subscribers a reason to go for the third, presumably more expensive tier. Hopefully, Bloomberg’s report is correct and we only have to wait until next week to find out more. If nothing else, March has been a bountiful month for PlayStation users, and with Sony expected to announce next month’s PS Plus lineup in a few days, we’re bound to get an announcement from the console manufacturer either way.
