In the past, many have noticed a pattern to PS Plus games where Sony offered one big title (typically first-party title) and a more niche title as its offering most months. There’s been divergences, obviously, with some months being much better than others, and then months like May 2020 that offered such niche games that a petition requested Sony to change them. However, since then, it seems safe to say that PS Plus has been on a hot streak.
September 2020’s offerings include PUBG and Street Fighter 5, iconoclasts in their respective genres. August’s games, which fans only have a few days left to claim, included Fall Guys at launch and Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered. Call of Duty‘s popularity is at an all-time high, and Fall Guys became an instant hit on the platform, breaking major PS Plus records. July 2020 saw the edition of three games for its anniversary, and while their pedigree may not have been as high, not many complained about receiving three games. And before that, in June 2020, subscribers received Call of Duty: WW2 and Star Wars Battlefront 2, a nice addition given how far the latter game has come.
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This poses a big question for Sony and PS Plus: why go so big? But the answer seems relatively simple. PS Plus games are likely going all in to prepare for any changes that may come with the PS5.
Sony has given plenty of reasons to invest in a PS5, but there’s so many factors to consider. After the unfortunate but necessary delay of Halo Infinite, it has a stronger launch line up than its competition, and it’s all about games at the end of the day. Price and release date are still up in the air, as the game of price chicken between PS5 and Xbox Series X continues on, likely into September. But another factor are the services and benefits of a platform.
Arguably, PS Plus outweighs Games with Gold, the closest service for the two to be compared. However, it’s not Games with Gold that many want on the Xbox Series X, it’s Game Pass. At least in the realm of services and deals, Game Pass is one of the biggest on the market and will likely play a big role in the success of the Xbox Series X. After all, all first-party titles are set to be free on the service, and that’s a big draw. Avowed and Fable may be years away, but 2022-2023 is shaping up to see the Series X shift into full gear.
Of course, the Series X’s biggest weakness is the here and now, and the upcoming launch. Sony is likely aware of this, and while price and release date for PS5 and Xbox Series X are still a big deal, PS Plus has to compete with Game Pass–despite not being the easiest two to compare. That means bigger games, and is likely the inspiration behind the hot streak of new games. It still can’t fully compete, but it keeps PS Plus on the tongue of fans just as prominently as Game Pass. But here’s the catch: rumors indicate that PS Plus and PS Now are getting an overhaul for PS5. It may not be day one, but it’s in Sony’s best interest to compete in this area as well, and it seems like it is surely trying.
Still, there’s too much up in the air to predict how the next couple of months go. It seems plausible that the PS5 takes an early lead and tries to solidify it by competing in an area currently dominated by Xbox, but at the same time, Xbox has the motivation and resources to catch up not too far in the current-gen shelf life. But it’s also possible that Microsoft has a few secrets left up its sleeve, so next-gen is certainly going to be interesting to watch. The only thing that seems clear is that it won’t be so cut and dry as the PS4-Xbox One era.
PS Plus subscribers get two free games every month.
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