Sony not only revealed the next three games for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers, as it also announced a PS Plus price increase that will affect all three tiers. These changes go into effect on September 6, 2023.
The PS Plus price increases have led to hikes of over 30%
Sony laid out the details on the PlayStation Blog. It noted that these hikes will enable it to “continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service.” They aren’t just a few dollars more, either, as 12-month subscription plans are now significantly more expensive.
The 12-month plan for Essential went from $59.99 to $79.99. Extra’s 12-month plan jumped from $99.99 to $134.99. Premium’s 12-month plan spiked from $119.99 to $159.99. Percentage wise, Essential and Premium went up 33%, while Extra increased 35%.
Current 12-month subscribers won’t see an increase until their next renewal date after November 6, 2023. However, upgrading or downgrading on or after September 6 will reflect the new prices. And while details weren’t given, the new 12-month prices will still be discounted when compared to 12 months made up of one-month or three-month subscriptions.
This comes at a strange time, too, as the Essential lineup is one of the lowest-rated trios in some time. Saints Row, Black Desert, and Generation Zero launched to OpenCritic scores of 63, 71, and 49, respectively.
Subscription prices have generally been getting more expensive. Xbox also recently increased the price of Game Pass, but not nearly as much. Monthly Game Pass subscriptions jumped from $9.99 to $10.99, while Game Pass Ultimate went from $14.99 per month to $16.99. Disney+ and Hulu are also seeing a price jump, and Netflix has continued its constant hikes. GameFly also announced its first cost increase since 2007 in June 2023.
