Sony has today announced new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers that will be available later this year. The new “Extra” and “Premium” tiers will include access to several PlayStation titles’ back libraries. However, if you want to play historical PS3, PS2, PS1, and PSP games, you’ll have to pay for “Premium,” the most expensive option, indicating that Sony is following Nintendo’s lead in relegating some of its older titles to its most expensive subscription.
Sony is not new to subscription-based access to old titles. For years, the business has provided access to PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 3 (PS3), and PlayStation 2 (PS2) titles as part of PlayStation Now, a completely independent membership service from PlayStation Plus. However, rather than using the Plus shakeup to add additional titles to the regular tier, Sony has chosen to utilize classic games as a carrot to entice gamers to upgrade to Premium, which will cost $17.99 per month, $49.99 for three months, or $119.99 per year. That annual subscription is essentially the same as what you would have paid for a year of both Plus and Now — though Sony promises that Now subscribers will be moved to the new Plus Premium.
