PlayStation Stands by Its PS Plus Strategy as PS5 Game Streaming Prepares for Launch

PlayStation is currently testing cloud streaming for PS5 games, with plans to make it available to PS Plus Premium subscribers. The service will include a range of PS5 titles from the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, Game Trials, and supported digital PS5 games that players already own. Initially, streaming will only be available on PS5 consoles. Nick Maguire, vice president and global head of subscriptions at PlayStation, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming feature, stating that the company is excited but will provide more updates once testing is complete. In addition to the new streaming feature, PlayStation has announced the addition of several games to the service, including Far Cry 6, Shredder's Revenge, Rogue Legacy 2, and Inscryption on both PS4 and PS5, as well as Soulstice on PS5 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Killing Floor on PS4. The news comes as annual subscriptions are due for renewal, following the relaunch of PS Plus in June last year, which introduced three different subscription tiers and merged the company's previous subscription offerings, PS Plus and PlayStation Now. Maguire highlighted the service's success, citing over a billion hours of gameplay since its launch and an average increase of seven times more time spent on PS Plus compared to PlayStation Now in the year prior to launch. He attributed this success to the quality and diversity of the game portfolio, making the service attractive to a wide range of players. The company remains confident in its strategy, with Maguire emphasizing that releasing first-party games outside of the service before adding them to PS Plus has allowed them to reach more customers 12, 18, or 24 months after release. While there may be opportunities for day-and-date releases, such as with the game Stray, the current strategy is working, and the company plans to continue it. The success of service-based games within subscription platforms has led to questions about whether upcoming service-based titles could launch day-and-date into PS Plus or offer extra benefits to subscribers. Maguire stated that the company is constantly evaluating its strategy to meet evolving player habits, but had no further comments at this time. When asked about the possibility of the service expanding to PC, given the company's growing catalogue of PC games, Maguire provided a similar response, emphasizing the need to keep the service relevant and valuable to players. The team has been learning and adapting, with some surprises, such as the popularity of the Premium tier over the Extra tier, and the similarity in player preferences across different countries and regions. Despite initial drops in subscriber numbers following the post-pandemic dip in the games industry, the service has returned to growth, and Maguire sees no need to change the current strategy. Instead, the focus is on adding new features, games, and benefits that players want, to keep the service relevant and appealing to a wider audience.