Sony confirms move away from PlayStation Now gift cards - is its Game Pass rival one step closer?
(Pocket-lint) — Sony has confirmed that its gift card offerings for PlayStation Now will soon be shaken up, leading to speculation that the company's Xbox Game Pass rival is inbound.
Following initial hints — first reported by VentureBeat — that physical gifts cards would be leaving stores in the UK, the gaming giant has since offered the following statement, suggesting that the change will affect all markets.
«Globally, we are moving from PlayStation Now Gift cards to focus on our current cash denomination PlayStation gift cards, which can be redeemed for PlayStation Now,» Sony said.
According to the leaked messaging doing the rounds at UK retailer Game, it appears that stores will have until 19 January to remove cards from stores — though it's unclear if different regions are under different instructions.
Either way, the plans have added fuel to the Bloomberg report from December, which suggested that the company is set to merge PlayStation Now (the service that allows subscribers to play PS2, PS3, and PS4 games on their PC, PS5 or PS4) and PlayStation Plus (the subscription which is a requirement for gaming online).
It's said that the PS Plus name would remain in such a case, though three tiers would be introduced to essentially replace PS Now and simplify subscription offerings for users.
With the wrap-up of PS Now's physical presence in stores now confirmed by Sony, it is, of course, possible that this is a step on the way to the two services merging.
However, despite it all adding up on paper, it's also important to note that there are no guarantees the two moves are related.
We'll keep our eyes peeled for more rumours and whispers related to this one.
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