Sony has revealed that despite recent price increases for PlayStation Plus subscriptions, the service is still growing. With the recent PlayStation Business Update, the company confirmed that PlayStation Plus prices are likely to change across all tiers.
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During the presentation, Hideaki Nishino, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, revealed that PlayStation Plus subscribers are choosing more expensive stages, such as Premium and Extra, despite the higher prices. These layers now represent the majority of the total number of PS and subscribers.
“Subscribers are increasingly choosing premium and extra tiers, which currently account for around 38% of total subscribers,” said Nishino, who further breaks down subscriber numbers. He revealed that of the 38%, 22% have been subscribed to the premium tier, and 16% have been added as of 2024. This was compared to 17% and 13% in 2022, respectively.
According to Nishino, this growth shows Sony that its user base sees value in subscription services across many aspects, from its free game lineup to its overall online infrastructure.
“The PlayStation Plus is highly regarded by players and continues to drive engagement,” he said. “We have already seen a trend towards higher tier options within our services, as evidenced by the subscriber mix we achieved in 20124. Here, around 38% of players are subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra Tiers.”
“This is even after the global price rise we implemented in 2023, and recently, we have improved our pricing strategies across specific market clusters and increased local price rises in selected countries to explain (forex) movements.”
“These price increases were part of the increased value we bring to players, and we have achieved results through investments in features that will further improve our services, including content quality and diversity and enhanced player personalization and content discovery.”
Nishino concluded the subject by stating that he plans to bring more content and improvements to his service over time. This also means that Sony will continue to revise its PS Plus pricing strategy, which could be even more expensive depending on the value it offers its players.
“The PlayStation Plus Service offers great value to players, and continues to adjust their pricing strategies in a dynamic way to maximize profitability,” he said.
The latest price rise for the PS Plus was announced in March in 15 Latin American countries, including Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Chile, Bolivia and Mexico. At the time, the decision was made to raise prices, according to Sony, due to the “global market situation.”
“This price adjustment will allow you to continue to offer your PlayStation Plus subscription high quality gaming and value-added benefits,” the company wrote in the announcement at the time. These prices were announced a few months ago and will only begin to take effect for subscribers this month or later.