Subscribers have mixed reactions to the September PlayStation Plus Extra leak

It certainly doesn't help that the announcement comes shortly after the revelation that the price hike makes the PS Plus economically unviable in certain countries like Turkey and the fact that the earlier PS Plus Essential lineup left much to be desired.

We're still genuinely curious about the lack of inclusion of remasters of Baldur's Gate 1 and/or Baldur's Gate 2 nor Larian Studios' OG pair of CRPGs, Divinity: Original Sin or its sequel, Divinity: Original Sin 2. Although Baldur's Gate 3 is headed to the Xbox (with concessions) later this year, the GOTY frontrunner was a pseudo-exclusive to the PlayStation 5 for a time, seeing a huge bump in sales.

While it's impossible, Sony may want to reconsider adding first-party games to the more expensive tiers of the PS Plus, even if they aren't the latest titles, if only to provide a clear value proposition.

Make no mistake, the price hikes weren't unjustified. Inflation, the increased costs of operation, and Sony's target profit margins as well as investments for additional research, presumably to improve the company's PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 emulation efforts, were bound to affect its pricing.

The Xbox Game Pass had already increased its prices earlier, even removing its cheapest trial offer in an effort to pad subscriber numbers ahead of Starfield's launch - this seems to be working, by the way, so Kudos to Microsoft for taking the risk.

But, while several factors affect the price increase outside of the common narrative, being that of corporate greed, this hasn't stopped users from voicing their discontent, as they should. At the very least, Sony could do more to add value-added services to the PS Plus. Case in point, Sony, which owns the anime streaming platform, Crunchyroll, could bundle it into the more expensive PS Plus tiers.

As for the actual added PS Plus Extra and/or Premium content for the month, most, especially JRPG fans, are happy. In particular, Star Ocean's inclusion in the PS Plus roster is a treat given that it's a recent title. Still, the consensus is that the subscription price leaves a sour taste. Still, as with all things gaming, tastes are subjective. While one gamer doesn't see the value in the new offerings, another might be ecstatic with the lineup.

In all, September's PS Plus lineup is a reminder of the gaming industry's constant evolution.

Whether it's debates over pricing, the actual worth of offered games, or the anticipation of what might come next, one thing's certain: The gaming community remains as passionate and engaged as ever.

Sony is reportedly planning to hold a showcase later this month. Finally, a leak suggests that a PlayStation 5 port of the GOTY contender, Horizon Forbidden West, is in development.