TECH NEWS – After a long wait, Sony has finally officially unveiled Spartacus – the new, significantly expanded version of PS Plus.

Various Bloomberg reports have made Spartacus an open secret, but we needed an official confirmation from PlayStation. Thankfully, the leaked news is all accurate, so we can now say that PlayStation users can look forward to a new subscription model with features dreamed up by the community.

So here’s ‘Spartacus’, the three (plus one) subscription models announced by PlayStation that will combine the features of PS Plus and PS Now in a new service launching in June, although the exact date will be announced later.

Three PlayStation Plus tiers

PlayStation Plus Essential

Benefits:

• PlayStation Plus Essential will offer the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members enjoy today, including two downloadable games per month, exclusive discounts, cloud storage for game saves and access to online multiplayer.
• No further changes for existing PlayStation Plus members.

Price: €8.99 per month / €24.99 per quarter / €59.99 per year.

PlayStation Plus Extra

Benefits:

• Offers all the benefits of the Essential model.
• Adds a catalogue of 400 PS4 and PS5 games, including new releases from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners (but unlike Xbox Game Pass, no new releases).

Price: €13.99 per month / €39.99 per quarter / €99.99 per year.

PlayStation Plus Premium

Benefits:

• Offers all the benefits of the Essential and Extra models.
• Adds up to 340 additional games, including PS3 games available via cloud play and a catalogue of titles loved by the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP community, available for streaming or download.
• Streaming access to PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 titles offered in Extra and Premium models. Customers can stream games on PS4, PS5 and PC.
• Game trials will be available for a limited time so that users can play before buying.

Price: €16.99 per month / €49.99 per quarter / €119.99 per year.

PlayStation Plus Deluxe

• In markets without cloud streaming, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will be available at a lower price than Premium and will include a catalogue of popular classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations for download and play, as well as time-limited trials.
• It also includes the benefits of Essential and Extra levels.
• Local pricing varies by market.

“The new Extra and Premium tiers are a big step forward for PlayStation Plus,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, explaining the essence of Spartacus. “With these tiers, our goal is to ensure that the hundreds of games we offer deliver the highest quality entertainment the company is known for. From launch, we aim to include titles such as Death Stranding, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Mortal Kombat 11 and Returnal.”

“We work closely with PlayStation Studios developers and third-party studios to include the best gaming experiences through a regularly updated library,” promises Ryan.

Jim Ryan continues his message, stressing that the Japanese multinational is constantly striving to adapt its business to new forms of consumption. “The new and improved PlayStation Plus will enable our fans to discover and enjoy more content than ever before and strengthen their connection to the PlayStation community through shared experiences,” concludes the CEO. In addition, the PlayStation CEO took the opportunity to clarify why the new Spartacus service will not include exclusive launch games.

Now, thanks to Spartacus, PS Plus users will automatically be moved to the Essential service, while PlayStation Now subscribers will be transferred to the Premium service at the new tariff at no extra cost until the old service is renewed.

Source: PlayStation.blog