According to a report from Bloomberg on Friday, Sony is gearing up to launch its own equivalent to the Xbox Game Pass in just a few months.
Sony has previously hinted at a response to the popular all-you-can-play gaming model offered by Xbox, and it seems that the company is now ready to introduce its own version.
Bloomberg has had access to internal documents related to the service, which is expected to provide PS4 and PS5 gamers with access to a substantial library of games for a monthly fee, similar to the Game Pass.
Reports suggest that Sony’s product, codenamed Spartacus, will merge the existing PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now offerings. The former provides online multiplayer and complimentary games each month, while the latter permits gamers to download games from a library of legacy titles.
The report states, “Documents reviewed by Bloomberg suggest that Sony plans to retain the PlayStation Plus branding but phase out PlayStation Now.”
For Sony to successfully compete with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it will need to offer new first and third-party games as part of the monthly subscription. Microsoft, for instance, grants Game Pass subscribers access to titles like Halo: Infinite and Forza Horizon 5.
However, according to Bloomberg, this might not be the case, as the details are still subject to internal changes at Sony.
“Details on Spartacus may still not be finalized, but documentation reviewed by Bloomberg outlines a service with three tiers. The first would include existing PlayStation Plus benefits. The second would offer a large catalog of PlayStation 4 and, eventually, PlayStation 5 games. The third tier would add extended demos, game streaming and a library of classic PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games.”
Bloomberg.
If this is accurate, Sony’s offering may fall short compared to the Game Pass. It is hoped that Sony will reconsider and make its best PS5 games available on any streaming service. However, the inclusion of classic PlayStation games would still be warmly received.