Spartacus will merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now into a new three-tier subscription system when it launches.

Sony is actively working on launching a new subscription-based PlayStation service to compete with Xbox Game Pass. According to Bloomberg, the Japanese company will merge PS Plus and PlayStation Now in the spring in a new venture similar to Microsoft’s, but different in many ways, that will make a vast catalogue of classic and modern games available to enjoy.

Spartacus is expected to arrive in the spring

According to sources interviewed by Jason Schreier, the hardware maker’s idea is for a three-tier subscription service: the first would include existing PS Plus benefits, the second would make a huge collection of PS4 and possibly PS5 releases available, and the third and final tier would allow subscribers to enjoy classics from PSX, PS2, PS3 and even PSP.

Codename: Spartacus

However, there are still many question marks over the information we have so far: it is unclear, for example, how similar the service will be to Xbox Game Pass. Schreier points out that PS is interested in developing cloud gaming and exploiting it more effectively, so it’s expected that PlayStation Now will also deliver better returns in this area. Fortunately, if his sources are correct, we won’t have to wait too long to see the service in detail: Sony’s idea is that it could launch on PS5 and possibly PS4 as early as spring. For now, it’s been christened Spartacus as the company code name.

Since the launch of the Xbox Game Pass four years ago, there has been much speculation about a PlayStation counter-attack, but so far, no clear answer. Two of the company’s related projects are currently PS Plus, where users can enjoy a small selection of games for free each month, and PS Now, which is more akin to Xbox Game Pass but focuses on cloud gaming, at least in its initial stages.

But the success of Xbox Game Pass, which has 18 million subscribers – a number it has probably already surpassed – may have changed Sony’s mind. Now we’ll have to wonder what ambitions the company has for Spartacus. Indeed, former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shawn Layden questioned the profitability of Xbox Game Pass a few months ago, saying that 500 million subscribers would be needed to make a return on investment.

Source: Bloomberg

SCOOP: Sony is planning a new subscription service, code-named Spartacus, to take on Xbox Game Pass. It's being pitched as a three-tier service that will merge PlayStation Now with PlayStation Plus. Highest tier could include PS1/PS2/PSP games https://t.co/rz5tC3ExcR

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) December 3, 2021