Microsoft “does not permit” PS Plus on Xbox, Sony claimed in its arguments against the planned Activision Blizzard purchase. The public is still unearthing gems from documents released by UK regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), in which both Sony and Microsoft put on quite a show over the proposed acquisition.
Did Sony actually propose putting PS Plus on Xbox?
Here’s the deal: Microsoft claims Sony blocked Game Pass on PlayStation, Sony claims Microsoft won’t allow PS Plus on Xbox. Neither company has actually said whether it approached the other to add its subscription service on a rival platform. We also don’t know whether they planned to do so or not.
Spotted by folks over at TweakTown, on page 14 of its arguments (paragraph 40), Sony wrote:
Microsoft’s stance that Game Pass availability on PlayStation would be a panacea for the harm from this Transaction rings particularly hollow given that Microsoft does not permit PlayStation Plus to be available on Xbox.
Sony claims that by acquiring content to make it exclusive to Game Pass, Microsoft would be harming rival subscription services and that’s against the principles of fair competition. The company previously expressed concerns that Microsoft won’t allow Call of Duty on PS Plus post acquisition.