Sony announces steep price hike for all three PlayStation Plus tiers

Sony's three-tiered approach to PlayStation Plus has been criticized for offering lesser value than Xbox Game Pass due to the lack of day-one availability of PlayStation exclusives. The company is now following Microsoft's footsteps by announcing a steep price increase for all PS Plus tiers, namely PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra and Premium. PlayStation Plus Deluxe, the Premium alternative in some regions, should also be more expensive.

PlayStation Plus Essential will now cost US$80/€72/GBP 60 per year instead of US$60. Similarly, PlayStation Plus Extra retails at US$135/€135/GBP 100 and PlayStation Plus Premium at US$160, €122 and GBP 120. Prices of the one-month and three-month plans have increased, too, but Sony hasn't specified by how much. The PlayStation Plus price increases come into effect on September 6. Those already subscribed to the service will have to pay the new prices upon renewal.

In an interview with TweakTown, PlayStation head Jim Ryan says the increase is "justified and necessary", which is puzzling, given skyrocketing PlayStation sales this quarter. Paywalling something as essential as cloud saves and multiplayer is a scummy practice. Doing so when you have a handful of exclusives, most without multiplayer functionality, will undoubtedly drive more people to look at Xbox Game Pass.

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