Initially during this current generation, several game industry experts suggested that Sony might have to include first-party games as part of the initial offering for PS Plus, in order to keep up with Xbox Game Pass’s momentum.
The Japanese company consistently upheld the stance that such a situation was not sustainable. Subsequently, it expanded its subscription services by introducing PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium options, offering competitive value without fully emulating its Seattle competitor’s approach.
Microsoft’s own service has fallen short of several set goals, leading them to distribute titles such as Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for Sony’s gaming console.
Currently, analyst Mat Piscatella from Circana has expressed, in a statement related to potential mass departures from PS Plus, that subscriptions are “definitely not the shape of things to come” in the realm of gaming.
Despite acknowledging their potential role in the industry, he noted that US expenditures on services such as PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass have shown little change since 2021, with the exception of a 14% increase year-over-year when Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was included in the service during the last holiday season.
It’s also important to mention that during that period, the prices have risen as well. The ranking by Circana takes into account the generated revenue.
So, why hasn’t the rhetoric about gaming subscriptions being the future panned out?
We’d argue it’s all down to a number of reasons, including:
- Customers still placing value on owning their games as opposed to renting them.
- Players preferring to focus on a handful of games they love as opposed to a large catalogue they may not be interested in.
- Gaming requiring a more active investment as opposed to media like movies and music, which can be enjoyed passively.
- Free-to-play live service titles like Fortnite and Marvel Rivals eating up a lot of dollars and time.
According to Piscatella’s observations, there is still significant potential for subscription services, and offerings like PlayStation Plus are expected to generate considerable income for Sony in the future.
However, the notion that subscriptions will shape the future of gaming turned out to be entirely wrong, and looking back, it appears that Sony’s choice not to cheapen its first-party game content has, in the end, been a strategic move that benefited the platform owner significantly.
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2025-04-28 12:06