PlayStation Now Subscription Service Has Revealed Its Final Three Games
PlayStation Now will soon be a thing of the past, but they using their last days well and we have their final three releases here.
Sony has announced the very last monthly update for its PlayStation Now service before it merges with its PlayStation Plus subscription model, and to be entirely honest, they haven’t disappointed. This update includes three gaming titles that seem like a permanent addition to the service and are most likely to be the part of the launch lineup for Sony’s third-tier membership plan, PlayStation Plus Premium, which contains the usual offering of contemporary titles paired with those from previous iterations of its gaming hardware.
According to IGN, Sony just added 2016’s Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, 2018’s Soulcalibur VI, and 2017’s Blasphemous. All three titles are a very welcomed addition to Sony’s retiring service, as all three boast a rating higher than 8/10 and have become available on May 3 for those that still have an active PlayStation Now membership. A reminder that Sony’s game streaming service is merging with its flagship subscription next month, offering a new, three-tier subscription model offering distinct perks and benefits to gamers.
We previously reported that PlayStation’s cloud-based service that streams PS2, PS3, and PS4 games would merge with the PlayStation Plus subscription to create a PlayStation subscription service that would challenge Xbox Game Pass. Needless to say, Sony failed before it even launched the service, as the revealed pricing seemed too steep at the time and not very well structured. As per our previous report, Sony is planning to offer three different subscription plans: Essential, Plus Extra, and Plus Premium.
The Plus Essential packet will remain as we currently know it, granting access to two free games, discounts, cloud storage, and online multiplayer access for approximately $60 a year. Plus Extra offers all of the above, with an additional 400 PS4 and PS5 games — which is a direct challenger to Xbox Game Pass — and costs approx. $100 yearly (or $15 a month). Lastly, the Plus Premium tier will offer everything Plus Extra does, with an added bonus of approx. 360 gaming titles from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP eras, priced at $120 per year.
The latter seems pretty expensive, and Sony has promised to upgrade all the remaining PS Now subscriptions to PlayStation Plus Premium, which is admittedly a fantastic marketing trick. Convert the customers’ subscription into the new Premium plan, give them a taste of what it has to offer, and once their remaining subscription expires, they’ll be hungry for more. Well played, Sony. However, a counter-argument can be made that playing older titles only appeals to vintage gamers and franchise diehards.
Those with an active subscription for both PS Plus and PS Now will receive a Plus Premium equal to the longest subscription owned, which could be up to several years, considering how gamers took advantage of a certain exploit and stocked up on several years of PS Now subscription, which is now to be converted into the new Plus Premium. The new service, along with the aforementioned free games, will become available to Asia markets on May 23, Japan on June 1, followed by Americas on June 13, and Europe on June 22.
