- Sony is raising PlayStation Plus prices for new customers starting May 20 in select regions
- Monthly fees increase from $10 to $11 and three-month fees from $25 to $28 for new subscribers
- Sony cites ongoing market conditions as the reason behind the subscription price increases
Less than two months after announcing a steep price hike for PlayStation 5 consoles, Sony on Monday (May 18) said it was raising the price of its PlayStation Plus subscription due to “ongoing market conditions". The monthly subscription service grants PS4 and PS5 users access to online multiplayer, monthly downloadable games, and exclusive PlayStation Store discounts.
Starting Wednesday (May 20), PlayStation Plus prices for new customers will increase in select regions. The price for PS Plus subscriptions for new customers will increase by $1 from $10 to $11 for a one-month subscription. The three-month subscription price will jump by $3, from $25 to $28, on the same effective date.
"Starting May 20, PlayStation Plus prices for new customers will increase in select regions," PlayStation said in a statement, adding: "Due to ongoing market conditions, prices will start at $10.99 USD / €9.99 EUR / £7.99 GBP for 1-month subscriptions and $27.99 USD / €27.99 EUR / £21.99 GBP for 3-month subscriptions," the official PlayStation X (formerly Twitter) account posted.
Sony's price hike will not impact most existing users, except in Turkey and India. Current subscribers in these two regions must pay the higher rates at their next renewal.
"This price change does not apply to current subscribers (except in Turkey and India) unless the existing subscription changes or lapses," Sony said.
Though it was not mentioned in the post, the price hike appears restricted solely to the PS Plus Essential tier, which is the service's lowest-priced option, according to a report in CNET.
'Completely Arbitrary Price'
The announcement was met with uproar from the gamers, who called out Sony for blaming 'market conditions' to drive up the prices.
"Blaming market conditions is insane. It should be free to play online games without paywalls in 2026," said one user, while another added: "What does the market have to do with online services? Nothing has changed with the internet."
A third commented: "Online gaming should be completely free. This is a completely arbitrary price with no real benefit. There is no "market condition" that should result in what is a free service on PC, to consistently increase in price just because you're on console."
A fourth said: "It seems like a joke to me that PlayStation Plus is going up in price because of "market conditions." How the hell does the RAM or the Strait of Hormuz affect you wanting to charge me more to play online? It's a f***ing joke."
Also Read | Big PS5 Price Hike Announced: Check New Global Prices And What It Means For India
PS5 Price Increase
In March, Sony hiked the prices of its PS5 consoles, blaming "continued pressures in the global economic landscape" for the decision.
“With continued pressures in the global economic landscape, we've made the decision to increase the prices of PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player globally,” said Isabelle Tomatis, Sony's vice president of global marketing.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.”
