PlayStation Plus is getting a major price hike following Game Pass changes

By Tomas Franzese August 30, 2023

Sony confirmed that 12-month subscriptions for PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium will all see price increases alongside the reveal of September’s new Essential games on the PlayStation Blog.

Starting on September 6, 12 months of PS Plus Essential goes up in price from $60 to $80, PS Plus Extra’s yearly price increases from $100 to $135, and an annual subscription to PS Plus Premium will rise from $120 to $160.

PlayStation Plus art highlighting the essential, extra, and premium tiers. — Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony says it needs to increase the price of all three versions of PlayStation Plus “to continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service” and that buying a 12-month subscription is still cheaper than subscribing to any of the shorter-term plans over the same period of time. The price hikes comes just a couple of months after Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass.

When it comes to the games PS Plus Essential subscribers can expect this month, first up is Saints Row, a 2022 reboot of an open-world crime franchise that garnered mixed reviews upon its release. Next is Generation Zero, an open-world sci-fi shooter where players fight evil machines. Finally, those who have not already purchased a version of the MMO Black Desert on PS4 can redeem Black Desert – Traveler Edition, which comes with some additional items; if you have bought a version of Black Desert, you can just redeem the Traveler Item Pack.

The September 2023 PlayStation Plus games. — Sony Interactive Entertainment

All of those games will be available to download between September 5 and October 2. The new PlayStation Plus prices go into effect on September 6 for new subscribers, although current subscribers won’t see the price increase unless their subscription renews sometime after November 6.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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