Sony Interactive Entertainment is launching an upgraded version of its PlayStation Plus subscription service that includes access to the separate PlayStation Now cloud gaming platform for one monthly fee. This week’s launch in North and South America will be followed by Europe and Australia in late June, completing the global rollout that Sony began in Asia in late May. “Fans worldwide can now enjoy hundreds of fantastic games available in the PlayStation Plus catalog,” SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan said, emphasizing that “the service will continue to grow with new monthly game offerings” that include PlayStation’s most popular titles.

At launch, the PlayStation Plus game catalog will include hits like “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” “NBA 2K22,” and “Red Dead Redemption 2.” Among the classic games coming to the PlayStation Plus lineup are “Ape Escape” and “Tekken 2.” “Some of these classic games will show improved frame rates and higher quality resolution than its original launch versions,” Sony said in its announcement.

The new service is being offered in three tiers: “PlayStation Plus Essential ($9.99 per month, $24.99 per quarter or $59.99 per year), PlayStation Plus Extra ($14.99 per month, $39.99 per quarter or $99.99 per year) and PlayStation Plus Premium ($17.99 per month, $49.99 per quarter or $119.99 per year),” TechCrunch reports.

At each regional launch, the current cloud-based subscription game service, PlayStation Now, will transition into the new PlayStation Plus service. “As a result, current customers will migrate over to PlayStation Plus Premium with cloud streaming access until their current subscription expires, enjoying that benefit with no fee increase for the duration of the existing subscription,” Sony said.

“The revamped subscription service will potentially make PlayStation Plus a better competitor against Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass,” TechCrunch explained, noting “Sony claims that the service will have a more extensive game catalog, and subscribers that get the higher-priced subscription plan will have access to benefits such as time-limited game trials and more.”

In all, gamers in the Americas will have more than 700 titles from which to choose. The idea is that the hundreds of games available in the PlayStation Plus catalog “will continue to refresh and evolve over time, so there is always something new for gamers to play,” Sony added.

Related:
Classic PlayStation Plus Premium Games Confirmed to Be 60hz in North America, IGN, 6/13/22
Every Game in the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Catalog, GameSpot, 6/13/22
PS5 Update Adds a TikTok-Like Editor to Its Game Clips Editor, Engadget, 6/16/22