Once again, PlayStation users are facing a price increase for the use of PlayStation Plus, the console’s online subscription service. This is hardly the first time such increases have taken place; prices last rose in 2016-17, depending on region, and in fact, price rises have been relatively steady when you look at the larger picture.
Current Trendlines for PlayStation Plus Price Increases
This latest round of price increases for PlayStation Plus will specifically affect the regions of Asia and Europe. All three subscription tiers will cost more across most of Europe when the increases come into effect later this year. While the exact increases vary by country and currency, average increases range from roughly 10% to 20%. For example, the monthly subscription in France and Germany will rise from €7.99 to €8.99. Players can expect similar increases in Asia. However, in Japan, the monthly subscription will rise considerably more than in Europe (by around 60%!). However, the yearly subscription there will remain as it currently stands; one of the only instances of the prices remaining the same. No doubt this is intended to incentivise yearly subscriptions in the region.
Europe and Asia last had PlayStation Plus price increases back in 2017. At the time, the rate of increase was relatively similar, ranging from around 10% to as high as 25%. The US and Canada regions are due for an increase, with their last rise having occurred in 2016. Sony’s rate of increase for PlayStation Plus prices are relatively transparent. Although specific regional costs might vary more or less than others, the overall trendlines can be predicted with something like a Forex graph. While there may be brief short-term drops or changes made for incentivisation, the overall trend is for a slow increase of between 10-20% every 3-4 years.
While prices are steadily rising long-term, its possible that Sony may actually temporarily lower prices, or at least offer short-term discounts, when the time comes for the launch of the PS5. After all, they may well prioritise incentivising players to subscribe at launch. However, that is likely to be a short-term blip, and a long-term trendline is much more likely to hold steady for overall increases in the next few years. Of course, with this new round of increases in Europe and Asia, Sony is likely to turn its attention towards other regions in 2019 and 2020.