PS Plus 12-Month Subscriptions Getting a Price Hike, Monthly Free Games for September Announced: Details

PlayStation Plus is getting a price hike soon. Sony has confirmed plans to raise the prices for its PS Plus yearly subscriptions, starting September 6, across all three tiers. The news was buried underneath their monthly blog post, which lists the new free games coming to the service. As D-day nears, the base PS Plus Essential plan will cost $79.99 (about Rs. 6,611) for a 12-month subscription, going up from the current $60 (about Rs. 4,959) price tag. Due to regional pricing, however, Indian prices should be significantly lower — currently, a yearly plan of PS Plus Essential costs Rs. 2,999 in the country. The increase hasn't been announced in INR, so to get a good estimate, I think it'd be best to compare it to the Japanese cost, which will soon rise to JPY 6,800 (about Rs. 3,850).

“This price adjustment will enable us to continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service,” the blog post reads, adding that prices for the 12-month subscription will stay at a discounted rate when compared to purchasing the one-month and three-month plans, over the course of a year. For now, it's unclear whether Sony plans on increasing the prices of its short-term memberships, though fans aren't happy about the hike, with some expressing their disappointment by cancelling their current subscriptions.

Regardless, here are the new prices for PS Plus' yearly memberships (as mentioned before, take note of the Japanese price tag to get a close estimate of what the Indian prices might be):

PS Plus Essential 12-month subscription

$79.99/ EUR 71,99/ GBP 59.99/ JPY 6,800 (about Rs. 3,850)

PS Plus Extra 12-month subscription

$134.99/ EUR 125,99/ GBP 99.99/ JPY 11,700 (about Rs. 6,620)

PS Plus Premium/ Deluxe 12-month subscription

$159.99/ EUR 151,99/ GBP 119.99/ JPY 13,900 (about Rs. 7,850)

As for those who are already subscribed to a 12-month plan, the changes in price won't take effect until their next renewal date, which occurs on or after November 6. That said, any modifications to the existing membership made on or after September 6 — such as upgrades, downgrades, or buying additional time — will reflect to show the new prices. PlayStation's price hike comes just months after Microsoft raised the cost of its monthly Xbox Game Pass subscription. Sure, both companies offer largely the same benefits, in terms of free games and online multiplayer access, but Xbox takes a slight edge by making its first-party exclusives available day-one on the service.

PS Plus September 2023 Games

Meanwhile, Sony hasn't been making a good enough justification for its price increase. While the higher-tier PS Plus subscription does let you try out new games for an hour or two, the free titles it's been dishing out per month have been lacking in recent months. Starting September 5, all PS Plus members will be able to download the new Saints Row game for free — a soft reboot of the Deep Silver's street crime franchise set in the fictional badlands of Santo Ileso, swarming with funky characters, neon-drenched locales, and loads of explosions. It was poorly received upon launch for being uninspired and loaded with game-breaking glitches, so you can already imagine why members won't be too keen on it.

Other entries this month include the sandbox MMO Black Desert and Generation Zero, in which you battle deadly machines in a hostile 1980s open-world playground. The three free games will be available to download until October 2, after which you'll need to hold on to your PS Plus subscription for continued access.

PlayStation Plus subscription in India starts at Rs. 499 per month for Essential, Rs. 749 per month for the Extra plan, and Rs. 849 per month for the top-tier Deluxe membership. The monthly free games are included with all three tiers.