How PS Plus Premium convinced me to buy an Xbox Series X

For a lot of gamers, the idea of playing online multiplayer games is daunting. The PlayStation Plus Premium service provides players with cloud saves and other benefits that make it worth subscribing to. I decided to keep up my subscription after buying an Xbox One X because I’m seeing more value in PS Plus than ever before

“Will skate 3 be on ps plus premium” is a question that I am asked often. The answer is yes, and you will get the game for free when it comes out.

Was Sony’s huge surprise exactly what the company needed? (Sony photo)

A reader weighs in on Sony’s new three-tiered PS Plus subscription and explains why he’s opting for an Xbox Series X over a PlayStation 5.

So, Sony has officially unveiled their version of Game Pass, and it’s pretty much identical to what had been rumored and leaked before. Many individuals have suggested that Sony assisted with the leak so that customers would not be disappointed, but guess what? I am dissatisfied.

I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but I was looking for some kind of unique feature or enhancement that would elevate it beyond Game Pass, but there was none. It wasn’t even cheaper; in fact, it was somewhat more costly for what seems to be the same number of games.

You may be able to rationalize the cost of PS Plus Extra, which is only the Game Pass portion of the subscription, but PS Plus Platinum is way too costly for what is now PS Now slapped onto your membership. I’ve already heard Sony claim that it’s simply another choice for serious gamers, but that misses the fact that paying £100 for a membership is now the only way to play anything other than PlayStation 4 and 5 games. Even still, the PlayStation 3 games aren’t even available for download.

Many of the justifications for why PS Plus Extra isn’t as beneficial as Game Pass focus around Sony’s financial situation, which means they rely on the revenue generated by selling large exclusives and can’t afford to lose out.

As much as I sympathize with a large (as opposed to mega-large) global organization, I understand, but it misses the fact that Microsoft seems to be gaining money with Game Pass and that it will be successful once enough people join up. So, although Sony may lose money in the near term, they stand to earn more in the long run if they make first-party titles accessible from the start.

There’s also the reality that if they wait until Game Pass becomes larger and bigger before giving in and doing it anyhow, they’ll have lost their big chance to cut off Xbox at the pass (ha!) and will instead be fighting an uphill struggle against someone with much more financial resources. This was the moment to take risks, but they blew it.

They could’ve at the very least made a rule that said “all first-party games will be on PS Plus Extra after two years,” but they didn’t. Probably because they didn’t want to discourage people from purchasing them on the first day, but come on. If it, or something similar, becomes the rule of thumb, people will automatically assume it and make purchasing choices accordingly.

You may argue that PlayStation was in a no-win scenario, and I get that, but I believe they did the absolute bare least. Except for its main feature, it’s the same as Game Pass, and it’s more pricey. When you phrase it like that, it’s not very tempting, is it?

Not when regular PS Plus (now PS Plus Essential, I assume) keeps getting worse and worse, while Microsoft’s first-party lineup improves, or at least comes closer, by the same metric.

While there are still details to come, it’s clear that none of them will change the fundamental truth that Xbox offers more for less. If you haven’t guessed, I don’t own either next-gen console yet. I was waiting to see what Sony did in response to Game Pass, and while there are still details to come, it’s clear that none of them will change the fundamental truth that Xbox offers more for less.

If all things were equal, I’d still prefer to play PlayStation exclusives, but they aren’t, and on balance, it seems to me that Xbox is more focused on success and satisfying people, as well as providing greater value for money. As a result, I’m going after them instead.

Yonda, a reader

 

The reader’s feature does not necessarily reflect GameCentral or Metro’s opinions.

You may submit your own 500-600-word reader feature at any time, and it will be published in the next available weekend slot if it is used. As usual, send us an email at game[email protected], and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: The PS Plus Collection is included with PlayStation Plus Premium, however there are still some unsolved questions for fans.

MORE: Sony’s revamped PS Plus is aimed at competing with Game Pass, but should Xbox be concerned?

MORE: Sony claims that the quality of PS5 first-party games would suffer if they were released on day one of PS Plus.

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The “playstation accidentally makes game free” is a story about how the PlayStation Plus premium service convinced me to buy an Xbox Series X.

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