As the PlayStation 5’s release draws nearer, PlayStation fans are wondering what the PlayStation Plus will look like moving forward. To soothe some of these concerns, Sony has answered several questions regarding PS Plus libraries, next-gen titles, and more.
The PlayStation Plus has been a staple for Sony’s console for over a decade which spans two console generations. The project proved to be so successful with players that Microsoft released the Xbox 360’s Games with Gold just a few years later.
Ever since the launch of these services, longtime fans have accumulated massive libraries of free games across multiple console platforms. As such, there are a lot of concerns over how exactly Sony plans to integrate the PlayStation Plus into the PlayStation 5 release plans.
Generally, players are curious if they suddenly lose everything in their collection. Based on the PlayStation 5 FAQ, Sony guarantees fans that their collection of games won’t be going anywhere. In accordance with its backward compatibility on the PlayStation 5, most PlayStation 4 titles that can run on the next-gen console can be downloaded as usual. The restriction, of course, is that an active PlayStation 5 membership is required to do so.
With regard to PlayStation 5 titles on the PlayStation Plus, Sony’s goal is to include more games constantly to the monthly lineup. Already, this has been proven in one case – the PlayStation 5 edition of Bugsnax is now included in the November PlayStation Plus lineup.
In addition, the FAQ mentions that PlayStation Plus subscribers who own a PlayStation 5 will have access to countless PlayStation 4 hits. Called the PlayStation Plus Collection, the bundle includes popular titles such as Uncharted 4, God of War, and Bloodborne to name a few.
This news should excite gamers for countless reasons. The next-gen consoles are leaning into an accessibility approach for their massive catalogs, providing fans access to what could be the biggest release libraries yet. Preorders may have been chaotic but when players do get the chance to upgrade, there will be no scarcity of titles to play.
For Sony, this approach is something of a gamble. While the consoles themselves are costly, their profit margins are rather slim. Instead, it’s the software that sells the machines. Microsoft is taking the fearless approach of releasing the Xbox Series X|S entirely with cross-platform games.
On the other hand, Sony appears to give next-gen exclusive games along the side of its huge backward compatible library. How these plans of actions play out, and which will prove more triumphant, will be exciting to watch this week. Nonetheless, this may be the most consumer-friendly console release cycle in recent history.
