PlayStation takes on Xbox with new subscription service

PlayStation Plus, once codenamed Spartacus, is Sony Group Corp’s attempt to compete with rival Microsoft Corp’s popular Xbox Game Pass as both publishers jockey to be the Netflix of video games. — Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

PlayStation’s revamped version of its video game subscription service went live on June 13, giving members access to a catalogue of several hundred games both new and old.

PlayStation Plus, once codenamed Spartacus, is Sony Group Corp’s attempt to compete with rival Microsoft Corp’s popular Xbox Game Pass as both publishers jockey to be the Netflix of video games. The new service combines Sony’s previous subscription offerings into a three-tiered system. The most basic level, Essential, costs US$10 (RM44) a month and replaces the old PlayStation Plus, offering two downloadable games per month, a smattering of discounts and access to online multiplayer games.