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

PlayStation Plus will soon see a price hike. Sony has confirmed plans to increase the prices of its annual PS Plus subscriptions, starting September 6, across all three tiers. The news was buried under their monthly blog post, which lists new free games coming to the service. As the big day approaches, the base PS Plus Essential package will cost $79.99 (approximately Rs. 6,611) for a 12-month subscription, up from the current price of $60 (approximately Rs. 4 959). However, due to regional pricing, Indian prices are expected to be significantly lower – currently, an annual plan of PS Plus Essential costs Rs. 9,999. 2,999 in the country. The increase was not announced in INR, so to get a good estimate, I think it would be better to compare it to the Japanese cost, which will soon be 6,800 JPY (roughly Rs. 3,850).

“This price adjustment will allow us to continue to offer high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service,” the blog says, adding that prices for the 12-month subscription will remain at a reduced rate compared to purchasing the one-month and three-month packages, over the course of a year. As of now, it is unclear whether Sony plans to increase its subscription prices in the short term, although fans are not happy with the hike, with some expressing their disappointment by cancel their current subscriptions.

Anyway, here are the new prices for PS Plus annual subscriptions (as mentioned before, take note of the Japanese price to get an accurate estimate of what Indian prices might be):

12-month PS Plus Essential subscription

$79.99/ 71.99 EUR/ 59.99 GBP/ 6,800 JPY (approx. Rs. 3,850)

12-month PS Plus Extra subscription

$134.99/ EUR 125.99/ GBP 99.99/ JPY 11,700 (approx. Rs. 6,620)

12-month PS Plus Premium/Deluxe subscription

$159.99/ EUR 151.99/ GBP 119.99/ JPY 13,900 (approx. Rs. 7,850)

As for those who are already subscribed to a 12-month plan, the price changes will only come into effect on their next renewal date, which is from November 6. That said, any changes to the existing subscription made on or after September 6 – such as upgrades, downgrades, or purchasing additional time – will reflect the display of the new prices. The PlayStation price hike comes just months after Microsoft increased the cost of its monthly Xbox Game Pass subscription. Of course, both companies offer many of the same benefits, in terms of free games and online multiplayer access, but Xbox takes a slight advantage by making its first-party exclusives available from day one on the service.

PS Plus games September 2023

Meanwhile, Sony has not sufficiently justified its price increase. Although the higher-tier PS Plus subscription lets you try out new games for an hour or two, the free titles it offers each 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 Deep Silver’s street crime franchise set in the fictional badlands of Santo Ileso, teeming with awesome characters, places bathed in neon lights, and lots of explosions. It was poorly received at launch as it lacked inspiration and was full of game-breaking problems. So you can already imagine why members won’t like it too much.

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

PlayStation Plus subscription in India starts at Rs. 9,999. 499 per month for Essential, Rs. 499, 749 per month for Extra plan, and Rs. 749 per month for Extra plan, and Rs. 749 per month for Extra plan, and Rs. 849 per month for subscription First level deluxe. Monthly free games are included with all three tiers.