To keep up with Xbox Game Pass' overwhelming popularity, Sony revamped the PlayStation Plus subscription service in the middle of last year. The change was met with a highly favorable response, with millions subscribing to the newly revamped service. Among the three tiers - Essential, Extra, and Premium - an astounding 30% of PlayStation Plus members chose the Extra and Premium option.
The layered system gave users the option to choose different levels of content based on their budget. The Essential tier is offering basic online functionality and a monthly rotation of redeemable freebies. On the other hand, the Extra level gives users access to a comprehensive library of both PS4 and PS5 games. Finally, the Premium tier, the most expensive one, adds access to game trials, classic PS titles, and cloud streaming, among others.
While the Essential tier remains far and away the most popular option with some 70% of all subscribers (33.3 million) going for the cheapest service, the next step up isn't as popular.
According to Sony's latest business presentation, PS Plus Premium makes up 17% (8 million) of the total subscription base while the remaining 13% (6.1 million) are composed of the PS Plus Extra tier subscribers.
With nearly 47.5 million subscribers to PlayStation Plus, in total, Sony's choice to drop PS Now and rebuild its most popular subscription service is looking good. The numbers illustrate the success of the new pricing strategy. The figures suggest a welcome revenue boost for Sony, given the higher price points of these tiers.
The enduring popularity of Essential is a good thing as well. As Sony pivots towards new franchises and live-service titles, this massive demand for online play will likely continue. Thus, Sony is in a good position to take advantage of the public's eagerness for online play.
With Project Q on the way presumably sometime later this year if not early next year, Sony's emphasis on accessibility and content variety has, undoubtedly, enhanced the appeal of PS Plus and put it in a better position to compete against the Game Pass than compared to last year.
Speaking of the Xbox, Microsoft recently threw shade at Sony after the conclusion of its PlayStation Showcase. Several of the titles that premiered at the highly anticipated event are coming to the Xbox Series S/X as well, including Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.
