Video Games Tutorials and News - New Playstation Plus - Before You Buy
And we're back with another episode of the Before You Buy That Show where we give you some straight-up gameplay and our first impressions of the latest games released today. We're talking about something that isn't technically a game, it's PlayStation, plus because on June 13th Sony launched this new and improved version of PlayStation Plus.
This is the thing that a lot of people are calling their answer to Xbox Game Pass. It's kind of replacing the single subscription that used to make up PlayStation Plus. Now the service is split into a three-tiered system, with each additional tier adding more content and different features. The whole thing is a little confusing right out of the gate, so we're going to try to explain how it works as simply as we can, and then we'll get into some pros and cons.
Bear with us, just explaining it's going to take a minute. You know, game pass, all in all, pretty good value, but if you don't have a PC or an Xbox, you miss out. People have really been clamoring for this. Now we have the Sony and Playstation equivalents. Essentially, they're upgrading their current PlayStation Plus service to make it more game pass-like and more valuable.
For the past few years. PlayStation Plus put out a monthly selection of games that you could download for free that would rotate along with a selection of first-party PS4 games that you could download anytime. Of course, it was also required for online multiplayer too. That version of PS Plus will remain the same.
It's now just called "PlayStation Plus Essential" and it offers all the stuff you got from it, plus memberships like PS4 and PS5 monthly games, online multiplayer access, and some exclusive discounts. Cloud storage is the first tier of this new ps plus subscription, which costs the same as it does now in the United States.
It's 10 bucks a month or 60 dollars for 12 months. The second tier is where the new stuff comes in. This is the PlayStation, plus extra, and it gets you access to a bigger, more robust catalog of PS4 and PS5 games. This costs in the united states 15 bucks a month or a hundred dollars for 12 months now the third tier is maybe the most interesting.
And if your market has cloud streaming, then you can access certain games using cloud streaming as well. So basically, this tier combines PlayStation Plus with Sony's Playstation Now streaming service with some extra additions, and it costs in the United States $18 a month or $12 a year. For 12 months, are any of these new tiers worth the price of admission?
Well, how does it actually compare to other stuff? It mostly depends specifically on what you're looking for. The extra is the subscription most people are probably interested in, while the selection of first-party titles is pretty good. The third-party part of the catalog is a little bit more spotty.
There are definitely a lot of games here, I think well over 200, but how much value all these games actually add is basically up to you. I mean, there's some really great stuff here. We love PlayStation games, like exclusive stuff that you can't get elsewhere. It's great to have free access. Playstation exclusives like Demon Souls remake, Spider-Man or Eternal but there are some auto missions, so Uncharted 4 is there but just the PS4 version, not the Legacy of Thieves remaster.
The only way to play the Legacy of Thieves version is to get the premium sub, which just has a trial version. The Marvel Spider-Man PS4 version is the original, not the updated PS5 version. Horizon Zero Dawn is here but not forbidden west. You just get access to a premium demo of most of the major Sony games on the ps4.
Are here otherwise, so if you're a PlayStation fan and you don't already have some of this stuff, then it's a decent value, but just know that, at least at launch, the library isn't technically the deepest, but the third party section is where it's hit or miss. Most of what you're getting are either ubisoft games or games that have been, you know, around and on discounts or offered for free for a while now in some way, shape, or form.
Batman: Arkham Knight Control. Ultimate Edition. You know, nothing crazy, but there are a few notable third-party games like Red Dead Resurrection 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy, which if you're getting access to them for the first time, you should play them. It's really good. But if you're getting PlayStation Plus Extra, then you're really getting it for those first-party games.
This is definitely bigger than we assumed though, and there's a lot of good stuff here if you're willing to like, you know, sort through it all now. Sony has explicitly said that most first-party games will not appear on this service on day one, like on launch, but that doesn't mean that they're still not getting a few exclusive day-one games.
I mean stray. The cat game is going to be a day one release but only for premium subscribers, so let's move on to that most expensive tier of premium, This is the biggest wild card, really. For this stuff, they're going all in on streaming and classic games, which, depending on who you are as a customer, is either a huge turn off or something that sounds interesting to you.
You know, we're pretty skeptical about game streaming here, but the experience so far has been decent. The games are playable, at least you know, we noticed some minor stuttering and the screen sometimes looks like it's been smeared in vaseline, which is kind of a PS3 experience anyway if you think about it, but you know, at least for us, this is a decent way to go back and play some great PS3 games.
as long as your internet connection is fast enough. Having some access to some of the PS3 catalog is a nice move, but we'd much rather have them just ported over and be downloadable. I'd much rather have the option to download these games locally and then be forced to just stream them right now. This is the only option, and it's not new.
If you've been playing PlayStation, you've probably dived in at least once to stream and play something like Metal Gear Solid 4. I did that, except now Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't available, which sucks. You know, just again, depending on your internet connection, be prepared for some variation. With all this game streaming stuff, your mileage is going to vary, and like with the regular catalog, there's some good stuff here and some weird omissions.
Having all the infamous games is great, but like with the Ratchet and Clink games, they're missing tools of destruction. The first one released on ps3, three but no resistance one and two, and again, you know, the metal gear solid four thing really stings because it was technically the only place it's just trapped on ps3.
