I No Longer Think Subscriptions Like PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass Are the Future of Gaming | Push Square

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In this job, there are clear and obvious trends that dominate the discussion, sometimes for years at a time. I’ve been running Push Square for well over a decade now, and I’m lucky enough to have reported on many of the defining moments that have engaged enthusiasts: there was the battle for motion controls, spurred by the Nintendo Wii’s success which resulted in competitors like the PS Move; there was the raging debate over crossplay, with Sony painted as the obstacle preventing publishers from adopting the now quite common feature; and, more recently, there’s been subscriptions.

Heading into this generation there were very clear lines drawn in the sand: PlayStation’s market position was under threat if it refused to offer its first-party games day one with PS Plus. Sony, to its credit, was consistent from the start, arguing that it wouldn’t adopt this strategy and didn’t see it as particularly sustainable – at least in the current climate. It argued that by transforming its business model in such a seismic way, there could be an impact on the quality of its PS Studios games, which have generally been regarded among some of the best available on any platform.

Many argued that this was a mistake, and that strong competition from rivals like Xbox Game Pass would eat its lunch. In its defence, PlayStation did respond last year by making some long overdue adjustments to PS Plus and PS Now, combining them and creating a couple of additional tiers offering perks for those willing to pay extra. The result has been somewhat successful, raising the revenue of Sony’s subscription services, without having a marked effect on the number of active members. In fact, PS Plus has been hovering around 50 million users for many years now.