Sony PS5 subscription service announced – date, price and over 700 games

Sony has officially announced the new rebranding of its PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 subscription services, combining PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into one package.

Codenamed under Spartacus, reports of the new service have been doing the rounds for a couple of months now – and it looks to be exactly what was expected. Most interestingly, users will gain access to a library of over 700 games – such as God of War, Death Stranding, Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11 and Returnal – including the ability to play a select number of PS3, PS2, PSP and PS1 classic titles. 

The new offerings will be split into three tiers: PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium. It will initially roll out in several markets across Asia before then arriving in North America, Europe and the rest of the world shortly after. The aim is for the new PlayStation Plus game subscription service to be available everywhere by the end of the first half of 2022.

Details of the new PlayStation Plus service from the official PS Blog can be found below with prices for the US, Europe and the UK: 

PlayStation Plus Essential

• Two monthly downloadable games
• Exclusive discounts
• Cloud storage for saved games
• Online multiplayer access

• US – $9.99 a month / $24.99 every three months / $59.99 a year 
• Europe – €8.99 a month / €24.99 every three months / €59.99 a year
• UK – £6.99 a month / £19.99 every three months / £49.99 a year

PlayStation Plus Extra

• Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier
• Adds a catalogue of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalogue and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.

• US – $14.99 a month / $39.99 every three months / $99.99 a year
• Europe – €13.99 a month / €39.99 every three months / €99.99 a year
• UK – £10.99 a month / £31.99 every three months / £83.99 a year

PlayStation Plus Premium

• Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers
• Adds up to 340* additional games, including PS3 games available via cloud streaming and a catalogue of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations 
• Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.
• Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.

• US – $17.99 a month / $49.99 every three months / $119.99 a year
• Europe – €16.99 a month / €49.99 every three months / €119.99 a year
• UK – £13.49 a month / £39.99 every three months / £99.99 a year

Note: PlayStation Plus Deluxe will also be available in select markets at lower price for those that do not have cloud streaming capability but still want access to PlayStation Plus Premium. 

"The new Extra and Premium tiers represent a major evolution for PlayStation Plus. With these tiers, our key focus is to ensure that the hundreds of games we offer will include the best quality content that sets us apart," said Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan.

"We’re working closely with our imaginative developers from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners to include some of the best gaming experiences available with a library that will be regularly refreshed. More details to come on the games we’ll have on our new PlayStation Plus service," he continued.

"When the new PlayStation Plus service launches, PlayStation Now will transition into the new PlayStation Plus offering and will no longer be available as a standalone service. PlayStation Now customers will migrate over to PlayStation Plus Premium with no increase to their current subscription fees at launch."

After months of speculation, which began with Sony removing PS Now cards from retailers, it's great to finally see the news become official. Is this the Microsoft competitor fans have been waiting for? Or without first-party titles launching day-and-date with the service like Xbox Game Pass, is it still not enough? The decision as always is with you and your wallet. 

Still looking for a PS5? Here's the real reason why you can't get a console at the minute and why April is about the change that. To find out where to get a console next, head to the official T3 PS5 restock tracker for the latest information. And don't forget that you'll want one of the best TVs for PS5 to make all these games look their best!