PlayStation is working on a new subscription service to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.
Code-named Spartacus, PlayStation owners will be able to pay a monthly fee to play and access a catalog of both “modern and classic games.” The article from Schreier mentions that the service is expected to be available on both PS4 and PS5. The planned launch date is in the spring.
The PlayStation service is planning for multiple tiers of packages that span across the entire PlayStation library. This will include older classics from PS1, PS2, PS3, and even titles from the PSP handhelds. The story did not mention whether or not new first-party titles would be available on Spartacus the same day as their release.
Currently, Sony has not one but two subscription plans for the PlayStation brand: PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. The former is similar to Xbox Live and offers free titles every month. The latter is a streaming service that allows players to play older games. Bloomberg is reporting that PlayStation Plus will still exist, also similar to Xbox Live, while PlayStation Now will be phased out.
It should be noted that while Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, is a big fan of game preservation, Sony of America’s head Jim Ryan has sung a different tune. Perhaps something has changed his mind on the matter, such as the anywhere between 18-30 million Game Pass subscribers.
Here’s to hoping that Sony’s Game Pass service continues to shape the gaming industry. Meanwhile, Nintendo seems content slowly releasing their classic titles one at a time.
