With the PlayStation Spartacus project, Sony wants to breathe new life into PS Plus and PS Now subscriptions, but most of all it wants to respond to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. The war of consoles may be over, and the war of ecosystems and services has just begun.
While Xbox Game Pass has grown to 25 million subscribers and is the showcase of Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem, Sony PlayStation is far less attractive with subscriptions available on PS Plus and PS Now. However, this type of service is essential to ensure a steady and stable flow of money, regardless of game sales, accessories, and commissions from microtransactions.
The Japanese manufacturer and publisher is aware of this shortcoming and leaves the space open to Xbox in this area, but behind the scenes is preparing a response. In all its discretion, a particular Spartacus project will be in the process of being established on the PlayStation side with the ambition to offer gamers a truly serious alternative to Microsoft’s Game Pass. This new subscription has not yet been made official by Sony, but here is a rundown of the most credible hesitations about it.
When is PlayStation Spartacus coming out?
According to information from the generally well-informed Bloomberg media, Sony is aiming to launch its new subscription formula for the spring of 2022. It’s a pretty plausible release window for PlayStation to pull PS Now cards from sale. Including France, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States in mid-January in anticipation of the arrival of the Spartacus program.
According to the latest statements from Bloomberg, Sony may announce the Playstation Spartacus by the end of March 2022 or the beginning of April. The media also claims that the current biggest Playstation video games will not be offered directly to subscribers like the S.piderman-Man Miles Morales, Redemption and Clank: Rift Apart or return. Of course, this information should be taken with a pinch of salt until Sony officially reveals more details about its direct competitor to Xbox Game Pass.
How much does PlayStation Spartacus cost?
According to Venture Beat, PlayStation Spartacus will be split into three separate offerings:
PS Plus Basic it would cost $10 (8.99 euros) per month and offer the same thing as the games on offer right now. most PS Plus Extra it would cost him $13 a month and would allow the player to download and play from an extensive library like Microsoft’s Game Pass.
Finally, PS Plus Premium would bring the possibility of playing both the game and the “classic” games (hits from PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4). The program will also feature special trials of new games. Here’s the Game Pass Ultimate equivalent with little extras.
PlayStation Spartacus, what is it?
Spartacus is the codename of a project whose purpose is to create a rich and complete service subscription for PlayStation, equivalent to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. We don’t know the trade name for this offering yet, but we know it should be. Combine PS Plus and PS Now features, subscriptions that will disappear in their current form. Spartacus would be split into several tiers, the most expensive of which entitles you to additional benefits not available on PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now.
Codename Spartacus clearly refers to the leader of the rebel slaves in the Third Slave War, this floundered the Roman Republic between -73 and -71. A romantic symbol of freedom from tyranny, this historical figure was undoubtedly chosen by Sony to symbolize its revolt against the Game Pass hegemony in the games-on-demand industry.
Does Spartacus replace PS Plus and PS Now?
As we saw above, Spartacus will be an evolution of PS Plus and PS Now. PS Plus subscribers who wish to maintain their current offerings should be able to do so. However, PS Now players should switch to this new formula.
Which PlayStation Spartacus devices can it be used on?
Of course, the new subscription will be available on PS5. Since Game Pass is very interesting for gamers who own an Xbox One S All Digital or Xbox Series S, it should also be particularly suitable for PlayStation 5 Digital Edition owners without a Blu-Ray player.
PS4 players will not be left out, Sony is not looking to deprive itself of its massive fleet of previous generation consoles. Especially since the PS5 has not weakened and the PS4 is still in production to make up for the PS5’s lack.
Finally, we can expect PC gamers not to be forgotten. After all, PS Now is also available on the desktop. However, as the service uses cloud gaming and game streaming to work on this platform, not all PlayStation Spartacus levels will be offered on PC, and you’ll likely have to subscribe to the most expensive offer to take advantage of it. We might also wonder if Sony won’t try to capitalize on the evolution it offers to make its ecosystem available for even more screen types like smartphones or tablets.
Will PlayStation Studios games be available on release day?
What makes Game Pass particularly appealing is the release of Xbox Studios’ first-day titles (Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Age of Empires IV, etc.) and even contracted third-party studios’ titles (A Plague). For example, Tale Requiem in 2022). According to information from Venture Beat, Spartacus was not going to go to this floor. Major games will remain as they are and will not be available immediately. On the other hand, the Premium offer can offer special trials to entice the most hesitant.
Is PlayStation Plus Video Pass included with Spartacus?
So far, no reports have mentioned the integration of PlayStation Plus Video Pass into one or more of the upcoming subscription formulas. As a reminder, this is an SVOD service that provides access to a catalog of movies and series rights owned by Sony Pictures, with a testing phase launching in Poland in 2021. We’re a long way from being there, but Sony clearly has arguments to do it in terms of video-on-demand with their own productions. The Japanese group also has platforms such as ADN, Crunchyroll and Wakanim that can be developed by integrating a PlayStation offering. What if Netflix is taking its chances at the video game with Netflix Gaming, and Sony actually holds the keys to developing an ultimate subscription between gaming and audiovisual?
