Sony does also offer annual pricing, which does result in Plus Premium being cheaper than Game Pass Ultimate.
It almost goes without saying that the strength of PlayStation’s subscription will depend largely on its catalog.
This is, unfortunately, the one aspect in which Sony is being very vague.
Some of my assumptions are based on how closely the announcement has already matched the earlier leaks.
And in this respect, Sony’s offering falls short based on what we know so far.
The appeal of Game Pass is a steady stream of brand-new games.
Put aside for now the promise of day-one releases for all Microsoft first-party games like Halo and Forza.
A Game Pass subscription is easy to justify as a savings over buying games a la carte.
The top tier, Plus Premium, simply offers a back catalog of older PlayStation games.
And most crucially, a back catalog is inherently static to a degree.
Then of course there is the first-party factor.
We’ve heard nothing regarding when or even if new releases will join the lineup in the future.
Alternatively, Sony’s live-service games could coexist successfully alongside Plus.
And naturally, Sony has much more of a foothold in Japan than Microsoft.
That alone could make the effort to simplify and streamline its subscription offerings worthwhile.
However, for those who do have access to both ecosystems, Game Pass has spoiled us.
For the time being, at least, it has missed the mark.
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