Over the past few years, the universe Sony has expanded mainly thanks to the release of various first-party titles with high production value, games that in some cases have literally managed to change the world of video games thanks to their qualities, dramatically increasing the sales of PS4 and, consequently, of PS5. However, while until a few years ago the games intended for a specific platform were much more important than the rest, with the evolution of this world everything has also moved towards other fronts, one of which specifically concerns services. At the moment, in fact, when evaluating the purchase of a console, we also consider the way in which it is supported for the possibilities of subscriptions, gifts and for the ecosystem that it offers, a reason that leads many users to prefer the opportunities of Xbox And Nintendo than Sony’s. Once you compare the PlayStation Now and the PlayStation Plus with the Xbox offerings, mainly for what concerns the beloved Xbox Game Pass, many users find themselves opting for the platform of the Redmond giant, and it seems that this situation has prompted the Japanese company to review the infrastructure of its services from the ground up.
A new way of looking at gaming
It has been talked about for some time now, many industry reports have already indicated that Sony is working on big changes, and while we’ve seen some lukewarm experiments like including video content in the PlayStation Plus (which we’ve covered in this in-depth feature), it looks like we’re dealing with one huge service full of everything Sony can offer this time around. , albeit divided into several “layers”. Everything was revealed by the well-known journalist Jason Schreier, and even if for now we are not dealing with certain data, given that the company has not spoken publicly about the situation, it is likely that in a few months we will find ourselves in front of an announcement that will confirm what was anticipated. So, what can we expect from Sony’s news? Without a shadow of a doubt, whatever the name of the new service will be, now known as “Spartacus“, This will be thought of in order to compete with the increasingly popular Xbox Game Pass offering.
For about a year now, Sony has begun to include next-gen titles every month among free PlayStation Plus games, although in some cases the titles provided had limitations (such as the failure to upgrade next-gen Final Fantasy VII Remake, or the recent “Godfall scandal”), even opting in some cases for releases since day one, including for example Oddworld: Soulstorm (here our review), not to mention the PlayStation Plus Collection present on next-gen, which offers several titles of weight of the Ps4 era to all subscribers. Also the capabilities of the PlayStation Now have improved, and every month the service receives new titles, even quite recent ones, although the presence of PS1, PS2 and PS3 games is now limited to the additions already present.
Xbox, for its part, has certainly set aside the monthly offer of Games with Gold included inXbox Live, now useful almost for the sole purpose of playing online, but made its main Game Pass a real killer app. With a PC version, a console and the Ultimate that also includes cloud gaming, Live and the two previous ones, the company has created a package that is not too expensive, as well as often offered at a discount, but full of monthly surprises. as far as additions are concerned. The catalog of the service is now endless, and it is almost impossible that a user – between those who are now entering the world of video games and those who already have a career behind them – will not find something ready to satisfy their palate. It therefore appears that Sony wants to collide with this rather tall wall and resistant thanks to its new offer, even if the same seems willing to structure itself in a rather different way.
The right offer for everyone
With a launch that, according to what Schreier mentioned, should take place next year, the one now known as “Sony’s Xbox Game Pass” it should absorb both the PlayStation Plus and the Now into it, with even more features. It seems we are talking about a total of 3 levels (or Tier), the first of which should simply replace the current PlayStation Plus, although probably at a discounted price and with improvements, and the second would instead be ready to present a library of PS4 and PS5 games for users. It seems that this would be the real competitor of the Xbox Game Pass, since it can offer an excellent quality / price ratio and a large catalog of titles to be played simply by paying a monthly subscription, just as is currently the case with PlayStation Now.
While it’s unlikely we’ll find the same treatment as Xbox, with every exclusive first party being added since day one, the new subscription should dramatically improve the situation PlayStation is facing, thus making Sony’s line-up of services at the level. (or almost) of the competition. There is also talk of a last tier, this time however dedicated specifically to classic games from the PlayStation library, which will be able to work through cloud gaming, considering the limited possibilities of backward compatibility that the PlayStation 5 architecture brings with it. There is also talk for the latter of extended demos, recently started with two small experiments, and now perhaps even more in the company’s crosshairs after the feedback found.
Speaking of the cloud, it also emerged that Sony is ready to invest heavily in this technology, perhaps finally taking a step forward and making most of its exclusives playable also on PC and mobile, perhaps also taking advantage of the phone controller recently emerged thanks to a patent. It must be said that while those who own a PlayStation could continue their experiences even with greater portability (as is the case now for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers), those who have difficulty finding PlayStation 5 due to lack of supplies could in any case, to get hold of the next-gen titles, albeit maybe a few months after their release, paying a ticket price that can support the finances of the Japanese company on a monthly basis. No doubt, cloud gaming is one of the directions the market is heading in, and it is now more and more probable an approach in this sense by Sony as well, especially considering the way in which Xbox has managed to combine its ecosystems, beating the competition in this area.
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