Sony will combine PS Plus and PS Now »Vortex subscriptions from June

Sony recently confirmed growing speculation about its services. As of June this year, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscriptions will merge into one unit and provide access not only to existing PS Plus features, but also to the catalog of older titles from previous generations up to the first PlayStation. Sony has presented in detail the upcoming offer, which starts at 9 euros per month and ends at 17 euros for the highest premium subscription rate.

“Since the launch of PlayStation Plus in 2010, SIE has been at the forefront of gaming subscription service innovation,” Sony begins the expected report, which appeared on Tuesday PlayStation blog. Sony also recalls that they were the first to come up with a service in the console area that gives players a free game against subscription, and mentions the PlayStation Now streaming platform, which has never been available globally and at least has not yet been realized. “This June, we will combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into a completely new service,” adds Sony, confirming that the service will continue to bear the aforementioned PS Plus designation.

Three levels divided by price and content

The new subscription form will be divided into three levels – Essential, Extra and Premium / Deluxe – which naturally differ in price and content. The basic level is de facto the standard version of PS Plus as players on the PlayStation have known it so far. For 9 euros per month, resp. € 25 per quarter and € 60 per year, subscribers will receive access to two free games each month, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for saved positions and access to multiplayer. As Sony itself adds, for existing subscribers Plus nothing changes.

However, the second stage is more interesting, and in addition to all the elements that Essential comes with, the subscription in the Extra stage will be supplemented by the possibility to start playing up to 400 titles from the PS4 and PS5 eras. Sony says it’s going to be the funniest piece, including hits from first-party developers at PlayStation Studios. Games can be downloaded and played locally, which is important because we’re not talking about streaming and the basic functionality of PlayStation Now at this time. The price offer for Europe is set at 14 euros per month, resp. 40 euros quarterly and 100 euros per year.

The highest level – Premium / Deluxe – again includes all previous issues, but comes up with another up to 340 titles. This includes selected games from PlayStation 3, which, however, can only be played streamed and cataloged the most beloved games from the original PlayStation, its successor and the PSP handheld, and these games can be downloaded and streamed at will. In addition, the gateway to the rest of the PS Now catalog opens, including games for PS1, PS2, PSP and PS4, which can be streamed on PS4, PS5 or via a PC application.

However, the biggest obstacle from the point of view of players in the Czech Republic and Slovakia still applies, because only players in supported regions and countries to which we unfortunately do not belong can enjoy streaming gaming. This is one of the reasons why the aforementioned Deluxe designation applies to us and other non-supported countries, as well as a lower price, derived from the basic price of a full Premium subscription. This is 17 euros per month, respectively. EUR 50 per quarter and EUR 120 per year, with Sony not mentioning the reduced price yet. However, recent speculation about time-limited demos, which will also be available in Premium, has been confirmed, so players can try out the titles before buying them.