Sony has informed subscribers via email about an increase in the price of the PlayStation Plus membership, starting August 31 in Europe and Australia, according to GameSpot. As of now, there is no information on whether U.S. customers will also see a price increase.
Quarterly payers hit the hardest
According to an emailed statement, the annual PlayStation Plus membership will increase from £39.99 to £49.99, while the quarterly price will increase from £14.99 to £19.99. Further, the company is increasing the monthly price from £5.99 to £6.99.
“As you are an existing member, this means that all recurring subscription fees payable by you on or after 31 August 2017 will be charged at the new price,” Sony said in the email.
Even though the prices have increased for all tiers, those making quarterly payments will lose the most. For annual payments, the cost increases by £10, whereas for those making a monthly payment, the total annual cost increases by £12. But those making the quarterly payment will have to shell out an extra £20 every year. All those looking for saving some money can buy their membership now and save it for the future.
“Up until 31 August 2017, you may purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription at the current price, which will then be added (or “stacked on”) to your current membership period,” the Japanese firm says.
Users who do not want to pay more will have to cancel their membership by turning off the “auto renew” option in the account settings at least 48 hours before the next payment on or after August 31 2017 is due.
When asked by GameSpot about the possibility of a U.S. price hike, the Japanese company said that “there is nothing to announce” for now. Sony last increased the membership price in North America in September 2016, after which the annual and quarterly prices increased to $59.99 and $24.99, respectively.
Why the higher price for PlayStation Plus?
Sony launched PlayStation Plus in 2010. The service allows subscribers to access premium features such as early access to new titles, regular store discounts, automatic patch/update downloads, beta trials and so on. Subscribers can also play six games free each month and use 10 GB of internet storage.
Sony did not provide any reason for why it has decided to increase the price of the monthly, quarterly and annual subscriptions. The company may think that the higher prices justify the upgrades made to the PS Plus service over time.
Sony’s price increase announcement comes just days after the company announced the new PlayStation Plus titles for August. The latest announced titles are Assassin’s Creed Freedom and Just Cause 3 for PS4, while the party game That’s You is available as a bonus release. For PS3, the games are Super Motherload and Snake Ball, while the PlayStation Vita gets Level 22 and Downwell.
When announcing the free games for PlayStation Plus in August, Sony threw out a surprise for movie lovers. The company announced that for the next six weeks, subscribers could rent a movie for only $1. The movies that qualify for this offer are Logan, Power Rangers, Kong:Skull Island, Boss Baby and Lego Batman movie.
