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PlayStation Plus Subscription Cost Increasing Starting September 22 — Will This Ultimately Help Or Hurt Sony?

By Bryan Star
Published on: 14:11 PST, Aug 28, 2016

Sony has announced that they’re going to be increasing the price of the PlayStation Plus subscription.

PlayStation Plus could be considered a necessary addition to owning a PlayStation console. After all, it enables the use of many features that players benefit from on a monthly basis. This includes the ability to participate in multiplayer games (though PlayStation Plus may not be necessary for all of them), the ability to purchase products off of the PlayStation Store at a discounted rate, the ability to download at least two free games a month, and the choice to sign up for various promotions that may require an active subscription.

With these things in mind, it’s easy to have mixed feelings on the fact that Sony will be increasing the price of a user’s subscription. In a report by GameSpot, the new pricing for the subscriptions will raise and vary by the length of time users will be purchasing.

Those who purchase one month of PlayStation Plus will pay $9.99. This means that there will be no price increase for individuals who purchase a single month. Users who subscribe for three months will pay $24.99, which is a $7 increase from the original price of $17.99. Finally, users who purchase 12 months of PlayStation Plus will see an increase to $59.99 from $49.99.

The increase to PlayStation Plus’s cost will be the first since its release in 2010. The report by GameSpot includes an update on PlayStation Blog. In the blog, the post mentions services in both the United States and Canada.

“This marks the first time that PS Plus membership prices will increase in the U.S. and Canada since the launch of the service in 2010. The new pricing reflects the current market conditions while enabling us to continue providing exceptional value to our members,” the blog update says.

This means that PlayStation Plus users in Canada will be experiencing a price raise, as well.

Perhaps fans will find some relief in the fact that the increase in pricing for PlayStation Plus isn’t the only change that Sony intends to make. In a report by Express, there’s also the notion that we may be getting closer to a hardware reveal. The PlayStation Neo, an updated console that is said to be greater in performance than the PlayStation 4, is quickly building hype. There’s also the matter of the PlayStation 4 Slim, a variation in design that contrasts the PlayStation 4.

Could the increase in price for the PlayStation Plus subscription be a result of Sony having upcoming plans that will require revenue? Perhaps, though it’s only speculation at this point. Twitter user Shortman82 has made reports that he is in possession of the new PlayStation 4 Slim, and fans should know that photos of the console do it no justice.

“I will be honest, The pictures do not do the PS4 slim justice. It looks gorgeous first hand. The hard drive bay is on the right hand side,” Shortman says.

“Controller has been going for 4hrs and 27 mins and still has 3 bars! looking good. Having read the manual it seems there is a 500gb and a 1tb model Slim.”

If these are any indication as to what Sony has in store for users, we may be seeing new services and features that will justify the price raise for PlayStation Plus. Of course, it could simply be wishful thinking that Sony’s efforts at bringing the latest and greatest will increase. Some of the free games offered over the last few months have not garnered positive reception, but the push for bigger marketing is certainly welcome.

How do you feel about the price increase to PlayStation Plus? Do you believe that it will benefit gamers in the end? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo By Christian Petersen/Getty Images]

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