New PlayStation Now And Plus Mix Tipped To Take On Xbox Game Pass

Sony's answer to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass subscription might go live next week. As per a Bloomberg report, the service will combine PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus services to offer a unified subscription product that will "debut with a splashy lineup of hit games from recent years." The service will reportedly be offered with multiple tiers divided across the current-gen modern games and those debuting with the older console generations. An older report from the same outlet tipped three subscription tiers for the upcoming service, which is currently under development with the codename Spartacus.

The first tier will reportedly include all of the existing PlayStation Plus perks, while the second one will bundle a catalog of PlayStation 4-era games with the possibility of some PlayStation 5 titles. The third tier will include a library of retro PlayStation titles alongside extended demos and game streaming perks. There is no word now much Sony is going to charge for its subscription service, but it will try to maintain a competitive edge over Xbox Game Pass, at least in the early days to attract more subscribers.

However, Sony's offering will reportedly be lagging behind Microsoft's product in one key area. Unlike Xbox Game Pass, those paying for Sony's subscription service won't get access to new games on the first day of release. Bloomberg's report cites the example of "God of War: Ragnarok", the next installment in one of the biggest series in PlayStation history. The upcoming game likely won't be accessible to subscribers on the day it hits the shelves for the PlayStation 5. 

But Sony just might have an advantage from the business side of things. Sony has sold more PlayStation consoles than Microsoft has Xboxes, which means it has a bigger audience of console players ready to pay for its subscription service than what Microsoft commands. Plus, Sony will be adding an extra revenue stream to fill its coffers alongside the hardware sales, unlike Microsoft, which has sold Xbox consoles at a loss for years and recoups the costs from digital services such as Xbox Game Pass (via Protocol). Plus, Sony's plans of offering classic games dating as far back as the first-gen PlayStation will even tempt retro gamers into subscribing.