Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Eric Lempel has addressed criticisms of the sharp price increase for PS Plus that left players frustrated. Many have vowed to downgrade their subscriptions while others contemplated leaving the service altogether.
PS Plus price reflects market conditions, says Eric Lempel
During an interview with Barron’s, Lempel was asked how Sony justifies the sharp price hike amidst equally sharp criticism from players. Lempel started off by saying that the company is aiming to make PS Plus a lucrative deal and argued that many already see the value in the revamped tiers. However, Lempel says prices have to reflect market conditions as well.
“With our reboot last year and introducing the tier system, a lot of consumers have recognized that there’s a lot of value in PlayStation 5,” Lempel said. “Like practically everything else in the world, we have to look at our pricing and we have to adjust to market conditions.” Lempel added that he wants to remind players that “unlike a lot of other subscription services out there,” PS Plus prices remained stagnant in “85%” of the regions served until now.
Lempel reiterated that despite their higher price tags, the Extra and Premium tiers are more popular among players, which Sony says indicates that the revamp has resonated well.
