How the new PlayStation Plus compares to Xbox Game Pass and Switch Online

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The subscription service will be more in line with its competitors, such as the Nintendo Switch Online and Xbox Game Pass. Some subscription services are better than others. If you're a console owner trying to figure out the best deal, here's a breakdown of what each service has to offer.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

PlayStation

The combination of two previously distinct services has led to the entry of the subscription game by the PS4. There was anemic service that offered streaming for a mix of previous-gen and more recent PS games, and PS Plus, which gave online access and a handful of free games to download and keep every month. Fans complained that the games on offer were not as good as the games on offer for the Xbox Game Pass.

Sony has decided to combine the two entities into one and create the largest subscription library to date.

There will be three tiers for PS Plus.

• PlayStation Plus Essential costs $9.99 per month (or you can get a steep discount by paying $59.99 yearly) and is basically how PlayStation Plus works now. Players will get online multiplayer access, cloud storage for saved games, and two games to download and keep per month.
• PlayStation Plus Extra is essentially the Xbox Game Pass tier. It’s $14.99 per month (or, again, save by paying for the year upfront at $99.99). It grants you everything in the Essential tier, plus access to a library of what Sony called the “most enjoyable” PS4 and PS5 games for download. However, unlike Game Pass, if you want PC streaming or previous-gen PlayStation games, you have to go up the next tier.
• PlayStation Plus Premium rolls the two lower tiers together and adds cloud streaming of PS3 games and streaming or downloading of original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP games. At $17.99 per month (or $119 yearly), this tier is the retro games special.

First-party games will not be offered at launch. In an interview with gameindustry.biz, Jim Ryan said that releasing new games at launch on these new subscription services would break the cycle.

Ryan said that it was not a road that they would go down with the new service.

It doesn't mean you won't see God of War on PS Plus, only that you'll have to wait a little longer for the new game.

Nintendo

Nintendo decided that its subscription service would be a bit different, instead of creating a straight-up Game Pass analog.

Nintendo's online service, Nintendo Switch Online, offers the occasional new title, usually the limited-time online battle Royale versions of classic titles, while focusing primarily on granting access.

Nintendo's subscriptions are the cheapest. A basic $19.99 per year subscription grants you the ability to play online for the appropriate Nintendo games, as well as access to a slew of NES and SNES titles. Every month, new games are added, and you have access to them for as long as you are a subscriber.

The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is a premium tier of the service. The Expansion pack grants access to an ever-expanding library of games, as well as new Mario Kart 8 courses, and an Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC Happy Home Paradise.

Every Switch in the household can take advantage of online offerings because Nintendo has a slightly more expensive family plan. The basic Nintendo Switch online subscription and Expansion Pack family plan cost $799.99 and $399.99 per year, respectively.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Xbox

The most generous day one new release offerings are found in the Xbox Game Pass. It has additional perks, like cloud gaming, which allows you to stream compatible games to your mobile devices, a robust PC component, and a not-too-shabby back catalog of previous-gen games. The perks are attached to the highest price tag.

Like the others, Xbox Game Pass operates in tiers. You can get access to Game Pass on PC or console for a fee. PC Game Pass subscription holders get access to the Electronic Arts Play subscription service, which offers the publisher's games like Dragon Age, and more.

You can get Game Pass Ultimate for just $1 per month, and you can also get Game Pass for PC and online. The profile of its Game Pass offerings has been boosted by the gobbling up of studios. Starfield will be available on the first day of the Xbox Game Pass, along with other first-party games like Halo, and more. We can expect the same if Microsoft's acquisition of the company goes through.