Sony’s PlayStation division is preparing to launch a new subscription service to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, according to Bloomberg.
The service, expected to go live in the spring of 2022, will allow PS4 and PS5 owners to access modern and classic games for a monthly fee. Sony’s existing subscription plans, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, will merge with the service.
- The service, code-named Spartacus, would have three tiers for subscribers.
- The first tier could include free monthly games and a large catalog of PS4 and PS5 titles that the second tier would also have access to.
- The third tier would focus on demo experiences and a library of classic games.
Sony lowered its full-year production forecast for the PS5 to 15 million units by March 2022, down from a previous target of 16 million. Like many others in tech, the Tokyo-based company is suffering from supply chain issues and the semiconductor shortage.
Despite the setbacks, the PS5 has sold 13.4 million units globally since its November 2020 release, making it the fastest-selling console in Sony’s history.
Sony posted $21.5 billion in revenue in fiscal Q2, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. The company’s Game & Network Services segment saw sales jump 27% to $5.7 billion.
