Sony is raising the price of PlayStation Plus for new customers in select regions starting May 20, increasing the cost of its subscription service that covers online multiplayer, monthly downloadable games and PlayStation Store discounts on PS4 and PS5 consoles.
The monthly plan will rise by $1 to $10.99 in the U.S., €9.99 in Europe and £7.99 in Britain, while the three-month plan will increase by $3 to $27.99, €27.99 and £21.99. Sony blamed the move on ongoing market conditions, but the timing is hard to miss: the company raised PS5 console prices in March and said earlier this month it had not decided when to launch the PlayStation 6 or how much it would cost.
The higher PlayStation Plus prices do not apply to current subscribers in most markets unless their subscriptions change or lapse, though Sony said Turkey and India are exceptions. That means the immediate impact falls on new users, while existing customers keep paying the old rates for now.
The decision lands as the gaming business faces wider price pressure, especially on hardware. Sony recently forecast annual sales for the division would fall 6% to 4.42 trillion yen, or about $28 billion, in the current financial year, underscoring the strain on one of the company’s most important profit engines.
For players, the playstation plus cost update is not a broad reset yet, but it is another sign that Sony is willing to pass higher costs through to consumers. The unanswered question now is how long the company can keep that limited approach before more of its customers feel the increase.
