After confirming the long-rumored PS Plus rebrand, Sony has started revealing more details about PS Plus 2.0. Just a few weeks ago, we found out that Sony is pushing up the timeline by a couple of weeks, with the new PS Plus coming to Japan and Asia first in late May. Now, Sony just outlined everything that’s coming to the service and it’s not easy to make sense of it. Before anything else, let’s do a quick breakdown of the modified PS Plus:
PS Plus Essential: This is the repurposed PS Plus subscription as it exists today. It costs $10 a month to subscribe or $60 a year. PS Plus Extra: A slight upgrade over PS Plus Essential but with access to “hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games.” It costs $15 a month or $100 a year. PS Plus Premium: It comes with everything from previous tiers but with the added bonus of older PS games dating back from the PSOne and time-limited trials of incoming and existing first-party titles, as well as a handful of games from third-party partners. It costs $18 a month or $120 a year.
In addition to these three, regions without PS Now will get PS Plus Deluxe, which comes with everything that PS Plus Premium has except for video game streaming at a lower price.
What games are included with PS Plus Extra and Premium?
Leave it to Sony to continue disappointing PS5 owners. After promising PS5 exclusives as part of the Extra and Premium tiers, the library is looking thin at launch. The more expensive tiers will give audiences access to Returnal, Destruction Allstars, and Demon’s Souls. If it’s any consolation, the extra cost adds a who’s who of popular cross-gen games outside of exclusives. In addition to PS exclusives such as Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut and Death Stranding, other highlights include Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Control: Ultimate Edition. Ubisoft+ is also coming to Extra and Premium albeit mostly only “classic” games from the French publisher are included. Subscribers do get Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which is nice, but the rest are far from new. Still, with 30+ free games that were not a part of the initial announcement, it’s nice to know that Sony is doing its part to add more value to the new PS Plus. Finally, Sony is adding a beefed-up version of the existing PS Plus Collection.
What about the classic games for the Premium and Deluxe tiers?
One of the biggest concerns users had with the classic games for the Premium and Deluxe tiers is digital ownership. Specifically, if consumers still had to subscribe to the pricier PS Plus tiers to play the digital versions of games they’ve already bought in the past. The good news is that Sony has clarified this and the answer is “no”. Sony confirmed that those who already own the digital versions of PS1 and PSP era classics can redownload them as they come. In addition, Sony confirmed that it will make some titles “available for individual purchase.” However, it’s still unclear which games are headed to the PlayStation Store.
How does streaming work with PS Plus Premium?
You might have heard that Sony is ending PS Now and focusing on the PS Plus rebrand. What Sony might have not clarified is that video game streaming is still very much part of the service. The main difference between the Extra/Premium/Deluxe tiers and PS Now is that you don’t have to stream the PS4 and PS5 games anymore. The massive library of PS4 and PS5 games is available for download. However, cloud streaming is still the only workaround for those who want to enjoy classic PS3 games like the original Demon’s Souls and Devil May Cry HD Collection, among others. If anything, this feels more like a tacked-on bonus rather than a selling point. The good news is that rumors suggest that Sony is working on emulating PS3 games natively on the PS5.
Are video game trials available for PS Plus Premium?
Yes. Despite the reported backlash from studios, Sony will still push through with the demos and trials for the highest PS Plus tier. Unfortunately, Sony couldn’t help itself but separate the games that are available on the PS5 only from those that both PS4 and PS5 owners can access. So far, these six games with video game trials are available for PS Plus Premium subscribers:
Farming Simulator 22 (PS4 and PS5) Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (PS4 and PS5) Horizon Forbidden West (PS4 and PS5) WWE 2K22 (PS4 and PS5) Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves (PS5) Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)
You can play the trial for two hours after downloading. Sony reassured fans that the counter for the playtime only ticks if you are in-game. Also, all data and progress from the trial period will carry over to the full game if you purchase it. What’s disappointing about the initial selection is that it’s basically just four games (five if you own a PS5) as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are all part of the PS Plus library. It feels counterintuitive for Sony to add what is essentially a slight upgrade to the PS4-exclusive titles to the list of video game trials instead of just making the improved versions available outright as a way to get more people to spend more money on a more expensive subscription and/or a PS5.
Is there anything else important about the new PS Plus?
Sony is aware that not all “classics” have aged well beyond their graphics. A common problem with older games is the lack of save points and bugs. Although Sony can’t exactly do much about the latter, the company is giving PS Plus Premium subscribers the option to save anything they want for select PS1 and PSP games. Furthermore, Sony will let Premium tier subscribers rewind the said games as well. This will save gamers a lot of frustration and time when playing titles with missable but important events that would otherwise require another playthrough. Speaking of original PS1 and PSP games, Sony explained that some of these older titles will run better on the PS4 and PS5 as it promises improved frame rates and display resolutions. As is a recurring theme with Sony, the console manufacturer did not clarify which games will come with this feature and which aren’t.
When is Sony launching the new PS Plus?
Asian markets will get a chance to enjoy the latest PS Plus update first starting on May 24, followed by Japan on June 2 with North and South America following suit on June 13. The rest of the world will have to wait until June 24 for PS Plus 2.0 to be available in their countries.
