Tech wars: Sony Playstation slashes prices to fight Google, Apple
In an effort to compete against rival streaming services, Sony Interactive Entertainment is slashing the price of its pioneering cloud game subscription service by half.
PlayStation Now dropped from a monthly prescription service fee of $19.99 down to $9.99 following its recent global expansion to cover 19 territories.
“Following PlayStation Now’s expansion earlier this year, we have coverage for more than 70 percent of our global PS4 user base, making it the ideal time to revamp the service with a more compelling price and stronger content offering,” said Jim Ryan, president and CEO.
The gamemaker also announced Tuesday it will expand its list of over 800 blockbuster titles with limited-time products such as Grand Theft Auto V and God of War, among others.
Its move comes just after rival Google launched its app subscription service Play Pass, priced even lower at $4.99. Apple's Arcade offers the same price point, pitting the tech behemoths against the firms now dominating the game-streaming industry.
Arcade joined Apple's App Store on Sept. 19, giving subscribers the ability to play more than 100 exclusive games that can also be downloaded and played offline on the iPhone, iPad, iMac and Apple TV.
Google’s Play Pass, which gives users access to more than 350 games and apps, hit Android devices in late September. Google appealed to new buyers with a limited-time offer of $1.99 a month for one year and $4.99 a month afterward. The service holds well-known games such as Risk and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
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Starting today, PlayStation Now, which is available on PlayStation4 systems and PC, will be offered at the following prices.
- US: $9.99 – monthly / $24.99 – quarterly / $59.99 – yearly (from 19.99/ 44.99/ 99.99)
- EU: €9.99 – monthly / €24.99 – quarterly / €59.99 – yearly (from 14.99/ (N/A)/ 99.99)
- UK: £8.99 – monthly / £22.99 – quarterly / £49.99 – yearly (from 12.99/ (N/A)/ 84.99)
- JP: ¥1,180 – monthly / ¥2,980 – quarterly / ¥6,980 – yearly (from 2,500 / 5,900/ (N/A))
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“We have accumulated a wealth of knowledge in cloud gaming since PlayStation Now’s launch in 2014," Sony Interactive said. "That, coupled with our 25-year legacy in the games business and strong partnerships we’ve forged with publishers, positions us to continue leading and innovating in this field as the gaming industry evolves,” Ryan added.