PlayStation Plus now costs $80 a year, up from $50 in 2010
Sony's PlayStation Plus gaming subscription has grown from a single-tier service in 2010 into a three-tier system. The cheapest annual plan now costs $80, and the most expensive $160.
PlayStation Plus, the console subscription service from Japanese technology company Sony, has gone through several price changes since its 2010 debut, turning from an optional extra into something many players treat as close to essential. The basic annual plan has risen from $50 to $80, but the service itself has expanded considerably.
How it started
The service launched in June 2010. Subscribers received selected games and add-on content each month, early access to some game betas, and Full Game Trials, which preserved saved progress and earned trophies. It cost $50 a year or $18 a quarter; no single-month option existed at the time.
By the end of 2016, prices rose slightly. A one-month plan appeared at $10, the quarterly price went to $25, and the annual price to $60. Sony explained the change by pointing to current market conditions.
Required for online multiplayer
PS3 owners did not need a subscription to play multiplayer games online. When the PlayStation 4 launched in late 2013, Sony made it mandatory. Free-to-play titles such as Fortnite and Warzone do not require it.
Three tiers since 2022
In 2022, a little over a year after the PlayStation 5 launched, Sony introduced three tiers: Essential, Extra and Premium. The move was aimed at competing with Microsoft's Game Pass. The Premium annual plan then cost up to $120; it is now $160.
Earlier this year, Sony announced that one- and three-month subscriptions would rise by $1 a month, citing ongoing market conditions.
- Essential: $11 a month, $28 a quarter or $80 a year; includes discounts, online multiplayer access and free monthly games.
- Extra: $17 a month, $44 a quarter or $135 a year; access to up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games, including Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Dead by Daylight.
- Premium: $20 a month, $55 a quarter or $160 a year; includes the Extra games plus streaming access to a library of retro titles, including PSP games.
