Sony Plans Unified Subscription Service: PS Plus, Movies & Anime | PS6 Focus

Internal documents reveal Sony is planning a unified subscription platform built around an upgraded PlayStation Plus, integrating PlayStation games, Sony Pictures Entertainment film and television content, and Crunchyroll anime. The move, first reported by 游民星空 GamerSky.com, aims to create a comprehensive digital entertainment offering for consumers.

According to analysis from William R. Aguilar, Sony’s ultimate goal is to establish a true “one-stop subscription service” for its next-generation console, currently referred to as the PS6. This service will deeply integrate the digital content assets of the Sony Group, encompassing PlayStation games, movies and television from Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and the extensive library of anime available through Crunchyroll.

The integration of Crunchyroll content into PlayStation Plus began in a limited capacity in December 2023, initially available to subscribers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand through Sony Pictures Core, the company’s movie-based service. Push Square reported at the time that titles such as Eighty Six, Iruma-kun, and To Your Eternity were highlighted in the initial announcement.

Expansion of the service to additional countries has been ongoing. In March 2024, Sony announced that PlayStation Plus subscribers in Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France gained access to Crunchyroll anime via Sony Pictures Core. LevelUp reported that Season 1 of My Hero Academia was scheduled to become available on April 1 on Sony Pictures Core for PlayStation Plus users in most countries, with the exception of Spain and Japan.

The documents suggest the new, unified subscription service will require a higher price point than the current PlayStation Plus tiers. A similar strategy was considered during the PS4 era, with Sony already offering movies, television programs, and other paid content. 网易 reported on this earlier consideration of bundled subscription services.

Users can currently access Sony Pictures Core by downloading the app for free from the media content menu on PS5 and via the PlayStation Store on PS4. Account creation is required to use the platform, a process described as taking only a few minutes.