Sony Hints At PlayStation Equivalent Of Xbox Game Pass
With Sony and Microsoft entering the war of the next-gen consoles, it sounds the house that PlayStation built could be working on its own version of the Xbox Games Pass. We've already heard rumours Sony could be about to overhaul its well-laid plans for PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, however, this could be the first hint of what's to come.
There's no escaping the fact that the Xbox Game Pass is the most popular gaming subscription service right now. As well as the base package giving gamers access to thousands of titles and even some day one releases, there's the Game Pass Ultimate for those who fancy spending a little more to make the most of Xbox Live, EA Play, and the ability to play on mobile devices. Sony has done its best with PS Plus and PSS Now, but as we usher in a new era, it could be time for a revamp.
In an interview with TASS, Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan teased there is "news to come" about a potential PlayStation Game Pass. It was in direct response to a question on whether Sony would try to take on the Xbox Games Pass. Ryan said, "There is actually news to come, but just not today. We have PlayStation Now which is our subscription service, and that is available in a number of markets".
At the core of Sony's values for the PS5 are its exclusive games. Although Microsoft boasts Fable and Halo (eventually), Sony has always excelled with its first-party games. From the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales to Demon's Souls, the PS5 is killing in the games stakes. With this in mind, it makes sense that a PlayStation Game Pass could be a lucrative business model. Ryan added, "Great games are really important for the PlayStation 5, and if those great games are exclusive to our platform, we think that is a point of difference in our favor, and we’re very happy to be able to offer the PlayStation community games that they can only find on a PlayStation. … The strength of the games that our studios made in the PS4 cycle was a big factor in the PlayStation 4 being so popular".
Elsewhere, Ryan explained that around three-quarters of PS5 owners have upgraded from the PS4, while the other quarter were tempted over from other platforms: "There are around 114 million PS4s in the world, the number of those who transfer if you keep that in mind is a small number. But for us, the PS4 community is going to remain incredibly important certainly for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Because in those three years, that will be the larger PlayStation community".
The big question now is what's on the way. To really take on the Xbox Game Pass, Sony would need to combined PS Plus and PS Now while also adding some additional features. With this in mind, it would almost definitely include a price hike. Still, it would be worth it to get a unified PlayStation Game Pass.
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