PlayStation continues to do well in PS5 and software sales, and its free game offerings through PlayStation Plus are generally very well received. The free games through PlayStation Plus in 2021, in particular, have been praised for being varied and making big-name titles available. While this has been great for PlayStation gamers, Sony will likely need to address Xbox Game Pass sooner or later. Microsoft's service has been praised by gamers for its value and constantly expanding list of games. For PlayStation to continue to be competitive with its subscription services against Xbox Game Pass, it should look at leveraging PlayStation Now.
PlayStation Now is set to add some huge games in July 2021, with titles like Judgment, Nioh 2, and Red Dead Redemption 2 being made available for subscribers. This could be a landmark month for PlayStation Now, and such high-profile additions could lead to more subscriptions to the service. This might indicate that Sony is looking to reinforce PlayStation Now as a viable alternative to the likes of Xbox Game Pass. While adding these games is a great step forward, Sony might need to do more to be seen as competitive. An overhaul of PlayStation Now and integration with other existing PlayStation services could be the way forward.
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The sheer value of the Xbox Game Pass service is hard to deny. For many gamers, especially those on Xbox and PC platforms, Xbox Game Pass is the best deal for playing games. The wide range of titles, Smart Delivery technology, and reasonable price have made it a deal too hard to turn down for many gamers. Xbox Game Pass has had a hugely successful year, and with titles like Halo Infinite set to launch as part of the service later this year, its value looks set to trend upwards for the foreseeable future. With a deal like this on Xbox platforms, PlayStation could see some stiff competition in the long run.
Despite the supply issues plaguing much of the gaming world, PlayStation 5 has been selling extremely well. First-party titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal have been received well and doing well financially. PS5 undoubtedly will continue to sell well, especially as its supply issues are resolved, but at the moment, Sony could be losing out to Xbox when it comes to subscription services. PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now are well-regarded, but neither service can truly compare to Xbox Game Pass' value. The sheer value for money with Xbox Game Pass could see PlayStation gamers move to Xbox, and Sony's overall market share could decline. Sony could be able to bounce back from this by using and modifying PlayStation Now.
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The creator of God of War once said that Sony has a plan to tackle Xbox Game Pass, and that plan could include using PlayStation Now. With July's additions to the service, this could be seen as Sony laying the foundation for a renewed focus on PlayStation Now. Time will tell if the service continues to have major titles added to its lineup, but it's a promising start for the sometimes overlooked subscription service. This alone, however, is unlikely to be enough to challenge Xbox Game Pass. Even if Sony continues to add AAA games every month, it still wouldn't be comparable to what Game Pass gives gamers.
To truly respond to Xbox Game Pass, Sony would need to do more with PlayStation Now. It's looking more likely that Sony is going to expand PS Now, which is great news for current subscribers. Beyond this, Sony could look at bundling PS Now and PS Plus together to directly rival Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The top-tier Xbox Game Pass subscription packages Game Pass with Xbox Live Gold, and Sony should look to do the same thing with its own offerings.
A combination of PS Now' cloud gaming library and PS Plus' monthly free games and online multiplayer could give some gamers pause before moving to Xbox Game Pass. PS Plus has cultivated a great reputation throughout the past year, thanks to its great free games. Coupling this with PS Now's library could make for a more cohesive PlayStation ecosystem and a true rival to Xbox Game Pass.
Bundling PS Plus and PS Now would be a great step forward, but even that might not be enough to combat Xbox Game Pass. Sony has been criticized for not having an equivalent to Xbox's Smart Delivery. Smart Delivery has been lauded for its ability to ensure the optimal version of a game is running, depending on what generation's Xbox is being used. Sony hasn't developed anything similar for PS4 and PS5, and the company has been criticized for its handling of game upgrades.
Games made available through PS Plus' free games and PS Now haven't been eligible for PS5 upgrades, which could be problematic for a PS Now resurgence. PS5 gamers would likely want to play the most optimized version of a game possible, so Sony's stance on upgrades would need to be reworked in conjunction with revitalizing PS Now.
While Xbox Game Pass and PS Now are similar, Game Pass is the clear winner due to its huge variety of top titles. Sony currently can't compete with its value with PS Now and PS Plus separately, but bundling the two services together could give PlayStation a competitive edge. This would likely necessitate handling PS5 upgrades differently and allow PS Now games to receive PS5 enhancements at no extra cost.
With new additions like Red Dead Redemption 2, Sony could be preparing for a larger focus on PlayStation Now, though a larger catalog isn't likely to make it more comparable to Game Pass in and of itself. Bundling PS Plus and PS Now could be a simple but effective move for Sony to be more competitive with Xbox Game Pass.
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