PlayStation Plus Monthly Fee to Rise by £1 in UK Amid Market Conditions

PlayStation Plus subscribers will face price increases in some regions, the gaming company announced, citing “market conditions”.

A basic monthly subscription to the gaming service will rise by £1, $1 (75p), and €1 (87p) to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will increase by £3, $3, and €3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively.

PlayStation did not specify where the rises would apply, but confirmed they do not affect current subscribers, except in Turkey or India, unless the existing subscription changes or lapses.

The rises take effect on Wednesday 20 May and come just a few months after the company increased the price of a PlayStation 5.

PlayStation Plus provides users with access to online multiplayer, monthly downloadable games, and exclusive PlayStation Store discounts.

There are three subscription tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Each tier has different pricing for monthly, three-month, and yearly options.

PlayStation did not announce whether there would be any price increases for the other subscription tiers or what might happen to the 12-month subscription.

Some social media users reacted angrily to the announcement. One person wrote: “Online games should be free to play… doesn’t even make sense we have to pay to play online.”

Another user said: “Are the ‘market conditions’ in the room with us?”

The BBC has contacted PlayStation for comment.

The video game industry has faced supply problems due to the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, while memory chip prices have skyrocketed because of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

In March, Sony, which owns PlayStation, announced that the PlayStation 5 price would rise by £90 in the UK and by $100 in the US because of “continued pressures in the global economic landscape”.

PlayStation’s rival Nintendo also announced this month that it will increase the price of its Switch 2 console from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US, and from €469.99 to €499.99 in most European countries.

Nintendo told BBC Newsbeat that a revised price for the UK – where a Switch 2 currently costs £395.99 – would be confirmed at a later date.

Meanwhile, sales of the PlayStation 5, which launched in 2020, fell in the past year, Sony said earlier this month.

However, PlayStation and Xbox still expect a lucrative year with the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, which is expected to be one of the fastest-selling video games of all time.

For the year to March 2027, the game division expects higher profits despite falling sales, Sony said in its results.