PlayStation Plus raises subscription prices May 20

Sony’s PlayStation said on May 18 that it will raise PlayStation Plus prices for new customers in select regions starting May 20, according to the company’s announcement carried by multiple gaming outlets. The increase applies to the Essential tier’s one-month and three-month subscriptions, with Sony citing “ongoing market conditions” for the change. (gematsu.com) The company said current subscribers would not be affected in most markets unless an existing subscription changes or lapses. Turkey and India were listed as exceptions. ### Which PlayStation Plus prices are changing on May 20? The new starting prices from May 20 are $10.99, £7.99 and €9.99 for a one-month subscription, and $27.99, £21.99 and €27.99 for a three-month subscription, according to reports reproducing Sony’s announcement. (gematsu.com) The previous prices were $9.99, £6.99 and €8.99 for one month, and $24.99, £19.99 and €24.99 for three months. The increase amounts to $1, £1 and €1 on the monthly plan and $3, £2 and €3 on the three-month plan in the prices cited by those reports. Sony’s statement, as quoted, described the new figures as starting prices in “select regions.” (gematsu.com) ### Who is affected immediately, and who is not? Sony Interactive Entertainment said the higher prices are for new customers in select regions from May 20. The company also said the change does not apply to current subscribers, except in Turkey and India, unless an existing subscription changes or lapses. (gematsu.com) That means a current member who keeps an active subscription unchanged is, based on Sony’s quoted wording, generally not moved to the new price right away outside those two countries. The company’s statement as reproduced in coverage did not specify the full list of affected regions in the material reviewed. (gematsu.com) ### What reason did Sony give for the increase? Sony said the change was “due to ongoing market conditions,” according to the announcement quoted by Gematsu and Video Games Chronicle. The company did not provide a more detailed breakdown in the text available through those reports. (gematsu.com) The wording matters because Sony tied the increase to broader conditions rather than to a change in PlayStation Plus features or tier structure in the announcement reviewed. The reports also said the immediate change was limited to the Essential tier’s shorter subscription options. (gematsu.com) ### Is this a full PlayStation Plus overhaul? The May 20 announcement reviewed in these reports points to a narrower change, not a full service overhaul. The pricing cited covers one-month and three-month PlayStation Plus Essential memberships, and the reports did not show new pricing for annual plans or describe changes to the Extra or Premium tiers in the same announcement. (gematsu.com) The company’s public wording, as quoted, also left “select regions” undefined in the material available, which means the scope is confirmed only in part from the announcement text now circulating. (gematsu.com) ### What happens next on May 20? May 20 is the effective date Sony gave for the new-customer pricing in select regions. New buyers taking out PlayStation Plus Essential on or after that date would see the revised starting prices of $10.99 for one month and $27.99 for three months where the increase applies, while current subscribers would remain under existing terms unless their subscription changes, lapses, or they are in Turkey or India. (gematsu.com)