Sony has just confirmed its targeted rollout dates for the new tiered PlayStation Plus subscription, as it plans to roll the service out gradually across four global regions beginning in May.
The new system, which splits PlayStation Plus into three distinct tiers with varying benefits is set to launch starting in select Asian markets in May, with the rest of the schedule in June as follows:
- Asia markets (excluding Japan) – targeting May 23, 2022
- Japan – targeting June 1, 2022
- Americas – targeting June 13, 2022
- Europe – targeting June 22, 2022
Now, you might look at this schedule and wonder where us Aussies fit into the mix, but unfortunately very little information has arrived just yet regarding our place in the rollout. The most convincing argument would be that these four regions mirror the same regions that PlayStation Plus is currently split up into when it comes to its monthly game offerings and other events, in which case Australia is included in the Europe region alongside the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.
So until we’re told otherwise, it looks as though we can expect to see the new PlayStation Plus in Australia around June 22, 2022. Still no local pricing has been revealed, either.
You can read more about what the new PlayStation Plus entails here, but for a quick breakdown here are the three tiers as they stand for Australia (with a modified third tier factoring in our lack of cloud streaming availability – more on that here).
PLAYSTATION PLUS ESSENTIAL
Same price as current PS+ subscription.
- Benefits:
- Provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are getting today, such as:
- Two monthly downloadable games
- Exclusive discounts
- Cloud storage for saved games
- Online multiplayer access
- There are no changes for existing PlayStation Plus members in this tier.
- Provides the same benefits that PlayStation Plus members are getting today, such as:
PLAYSTATION PLUS EXTRA
$14.99 USD per month (roughly $17.99 AUD) / $99 USD yearly (roughly $131 AUD)
- Benefits:
- Provides all the benefits from the Essential tier
- Adds a catalog of up to 400* of the most enjoyable PS4 and PS5 games – including blockbuster hits from our PlayStation Studios catalog and third-party partners. Games in the Extra tier are downloadable for play.
PLAYSTATION PLUS PREMIUM (PLAYSTATION PLUS DELUXE IN AUSTRALIA)
$17.99 USD per month (roughly $23.99 AUD) / $119.99 USD yearly (roughly $160 AUD) – set to be discounted for Aussies
- Benefits:
- Provides all the benefits from Essential and Extra tiers
- Adds up to 340* additional games, including:
- PS3 games available via cloud streaming (not in Australia)
- A catalog of beloved classic games available in both streaming and download options from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP generations
- Offers cloud streaming access for original PlayStation, PS2, PSP and PS4 games offered in the Extra and Premium tiers in markets** where PlayStation Now is currently available. Customers can stream games using PS4 and PS5 consoles, and PC.***
- Time-limited game trials will also be offered in this tier, so customers can try select games before they buy.
