In order to counter the popular Xbox Game Pass, Sony is reportedly planning to integrate PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now to create its own next-generation game subscription service. According to a Bloomberg report, this new service code-named “Spartacus” is expected to be launched next spring and will mainly target PS4 and PS5 players. What is more uncertain is whether it will be used across multiple platforms such as PC, mobile phone, tablet, and even TV stick like Xbox Game Pass, or whether it will only be used by consoles.
At present, it seems that Sony is preparing to retain the PlayStation Plus brand and abandon PlayStation Now. The new service is rumored to have three levels: the lowest level is roughly the same as the current PlayStation Plus; and the second level will include “a large number of PS4 games” and more PS5 games will be added in the future. The highest third level will include cloud game services, expanded Demo version games, and may also add some old PS1, PS2, PS3 or even PSP games like Switch Online. However, these are preliminary documents that Bloomberg has seen, and it does not mean that this is the case for the definitive plan for the future.
Sony’s PlayStation subscription service has always been the biggest cover for the insufficient number of games. Jim Ryan, President and CEO of SIE, once said that modern 3A masterpieces often cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars in production costs. The subscription model is fundamental It’s hard to pay back. However, in addition to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, EA and Ubisoft have their own subscription services, and there are also competitors such as GeForce Now and Google Stadia in the cloud game. It can be seen that subscription services are still the market trend.
PlayStation Now is a relatively early service launched in 2015. However, by fiscal year 2020, PS Now has only 3.2 million subscribers, while Xbox Game Pass has 18 million subscribers in January of this year. For Sony, it is imperative to re-study how to improve the subscription service and the games provided in it to strengthen competitiveness.