PS Plus’ highest subscription fee is now $200 cheaper than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Sony’s highest subscription fee for PS Plus is now $200 cheaper than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate following Microsoft’s price increase. The next batch of PS Plus Essentials are set to come out on October 7th, and they include Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, and Goat Simulator 3. Tomb Raider Anniversary also seems likely for Premium, although Sony has only confirmed TR Anniversary, SoulCalibur 3, and Tekken 3 for “later this year”. While PS Plus experienced its own price increases earlier this year, the leap was nothing compared to the new price hikes for Xbox Game Pass.

How PS Plus compares to Xbox Game Pass after Microsoft price increase

Microsoft has announced significant price increases for Xbox Game Pass. Below are the new tiers, prices, and what they include as announced by Xbox:

• Essential – 50+ Games – $9.99 a month
  • Unlimited Cloud Gaming
  • In-game benefits, including Riot Games
  • Online console multiplayer
  • Play and earn up to $25 a year in Store with Rewards
• Premium – 200+ Games – $14.99 a month
  • New Xbox Published Games within a year of launch
  • Unlimited Cloud Gaming with shorter wait times
  • In-game benefits, including Riot Games
  • Online console multiplayer
  • Play and earn up to $50 a year in Store with Rewards
• Ultimate – 400+ Games – $29.99 a month
  • 75+ day one games a year, including all Xbox published games day one
  • Ubisoft+ Classics and EA Play included with Fortnite Crew coming in November
  • Unlimited Cloud Gaming at our best quality with the shortest wait times
  • In-game benefits, including Riot Games
  • Online console multiplayer
  • Play and earn up to $100 a year in Store with Rewards

For the listed prices above, continually subscribing to Essential for 12-months would cost $119.88, Premium would cost $179.88, and Ultimate would be a whopping $359.88.

Now below are the current prices for PS Plus:

• Essential
  • $9.99 a month
  • $24.99 – 3 months
  • $79.99 – 12-months
• Extra
  • $14.99 – 1 month
  • $39.99 – 3 months
  • $134.99 – 12-months
• Premium
  • $17.99 – 1 month
  • $49.99 – 3 months
  • $159.99 – 12-months

As you can see, the highest PS Plus subscription is Premium at 12-months, and this is essentially $200 cheaper than Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s $359.88. Extra at 12-months for $134.99 is also cheaper than Microsoft’s Premium for $179.88, and Essential’s $79.99 is cheaper than Xbox Game Pass’ Essential, too, at $119.88.

While these prices are favorable for PS Plus right now, there is the likelihood that Sony will make price increases, too. After Sony’s price increases earlier this year, the publisher said they will continue to “adjust our [PS Plus] pricing strategy in a dynamic way to maximise profitability”. Some PS Plus subscribers claimed they were “cancelling” after Sony’s price hike, so it will be interesting to see how much Sony potentially increases prices in wake of Microsoft.

About the Author

Callum Smith

Callum Smith is a freelance gaming writer for Videogamer. He covers news for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, and he has over five years experience covering the video games industry.