Sony has announced a significant price increase for PlayStation Plus, set to take effect from tomorrow, May 20. The change will see 1-month subscription tiers rise by £1 and 3-month tiers by £3, bringing the new prices to £7.99 and £21.99 respectively.
Price Hike Details
The announcement was made via a post on X, where Sony cited 'ongoing market conditions' as the reason for the increase. This follows earlier price hikes on physical PlayStation hardware earlier this year. However, subscribers who have already prepaid for several months will not be affected until their next renewal.
Opportunity to Save
With the price increase not coming into effect until tomorrow, gamers still have a chance to purchase extra months at the current rates. This window provides a brief opportunity to lock in the older, lower prices before the hikes take effect.
Community Reaction
The price hike has sparked frustration among the PlayStation community. Many are questioning Sony's justification, especially given that Xbox recently reduced the price of Xbox Game Pass. However, that comparison is not straightforward, as Xbox also announced that Call of Duty will no longer be included in the service, diminishing its value.
Some users expressed their discontent on social media. One wrote: "This is how PS gets you, they sell you a 'cheap' console and then scams you by increasing the subscription." Another added: "Blaming market conditions is insane. It should be free to play online games without paywalls in 2026." A third commented: "Games up. consoles up. accessories up. now subs up…again. At some point 'market conditions' just becomes the industry version of 'because we can'."
Impact on Upcoming Releases
This year is set to be big for Sony, especially with the anticipated release of GTA 6. The PS5 has a user base three times larger than Xbox, meaning most gamers will likely play GTA 6 on PlayStation. If the game includes an online mode, a PlayStation Plus subscription will be required. While Rockstar has not officially announced an online mode for GTA 6, the success of GTA Online for GTA V suggests it is highly likely.
Gamers are also expecting a third trailer for GTA 6 later this week, which may provide more details about the online component. Whether players will renew their PlayStation Plus subscriptions after the price hike remains to be seen.
