New details about the features of PlayStation Plus Premium service have been revealed, but is it enough to get people to subscribe to the package?
PlayStation Plus is undergoing a major revamp this June. New subscription tiers are launching that essentially combine PS Plus with PlayStation Now, which previously offered a library of current and older PlayStation games. These tiers will offer a host of content, including games from as early as the original PlayStation era, though no specifics have been officially revealed. The initial announcement already offers a sizable amount of content for PlayStation Plus subscribers, but a new report could suggest even more.
A Game Developer report has issued new information about the PlayStation Plus Premium tier. This is the highest and most expensive tier, offering PlayStation legacy games through cloud streaming. According to the report, Sony will require some developers to offer two-hour free trials to subscribers of the service for any new games that cost $34 or more (this refers to the wholesale price), and they must be made available for 12 months.
Time trials were already part of the Premium tier, but this is the first time that the specifics have been hinted at, even if it’s outside an official announcement from PlayStation. The same report also lists that there is some flexibility with these rules on a case-by-case basis, such as the trial only having to be available three months after the game goes on sale and the ability to still publish separate demos outside the service. The reception to this requirement is allegedly mixed.
Whether developers like it or not, subscribers to the service are the most important factor. Demo and trials for upcoming games are very common. Open betas are always coming out, especially for fighting games. Steam offers refunds for games that have been played for less than two hours, and EA Play offers 10-hour trials for their games as well.
The fact that PlayStation advertised this during the initial announcement and are allegedly setting so many strict rules on it means that the company is banking hard on this aspect to be a success. This is clear considering the fact Sony is resisting the urge to make the service a clone of Xbox’s Game Pass. The company is even forgoing Microsoft’s “first-party games available on day one” feature that has made the service so popular.
Even without the day one release perk, this could still work in PlayStation’s favor. Offering subscribers the ability to play trials of games before they choose to purchase is a big deal. This feature could be the best way for PlayStation to advertise some of their biggest upcoming games to their consumers, who might be weary of purchasing them. With a little over a month left until launch, the new PlayStation Plus Premium trials initiative could be the added value that the service needs to push people on board.
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