Last Time I Checked PlayStation Plus Doesn't Require RAM, So Why Is The Price Being Raised?

It’s hard being a gamer right now. I’m not talking about losers online moaning about things like Mixtape, but average joes actually being able to enjoy the medium without spending all the expendable income they have.

This past generation has seen the cost of consoles and hardware components skyrocket thanks to a number of factors; not limited to sprawling companies buying out stock for their AI datacentres, while game prices are increasing right alongside them. If Grand Theft Auto 6 ends up costing $100, we’ll have passed a true point of no return. And now, Sony has increased the price of PlayStation Plus in some territories.

A month of the subscription service will now cost $10.99/€9.99/£7.99 a month, with the price increasing whether you are purchasing 3 months or a full 12 months. Across the board, it will now be more expensive to access online multiplayer on PlayStation platforms along with the other benefits available on the service.

That means free games, free trials, free content add-ons for select titles, and more are going to run you just a little bit more each month. This will presumably carry over to the Premium and Extra tiers as well, meaning the additional costs are going to add up. As someone who pays for the service but also isn’t immune to the very privileged position they hold as someone covering the industry, it’s a hard pill to swallow.

We’re getting a price hike and still only one new classic game added to the service every month, so there’s not even a silver lining.

In a world where consoles are more expensive than ever and costs have to be made up in more spaces than just hardware, knowing we continually have to invest extra in games or an extra cost on top of that merely to enjoy them to the fullest really sucks. PlayStation also isn’t helping its public perception considering Xbox recently lowered the price of Game Pass to bring back existing users and pave the way for plenty of new ones.

Why Is The Price Of PlayStation Plus Going Up?

According to the official Twitter account, the rising PlayStation Plus prices are simply down to “ongoing market conditions” in the world of video games. When the prices of hardware in its consoles, handhelds, and peripherals it was easy enough to connect the dots and realise that Sony was suffering from the rising prices of components, just like Xbox and Nintendo — two other platform holders who have increased their prices in recent months. Vital things like RAM, SSDs, and more are being bought up in bulk by corporations, leaving consumer-grade products to suffer. Instead of tanking these costs, they’re being passed onto consumers like you and me.

I have to imagine that PlayStation Plus prices increasing is yet another way to offset rising costs when console sales aren’t experiencing the same trajectory they were earlier on in the generation. Yes, a lot of people are probably going to pick up a system if they don’t have one already before GTA 6, but if you already have one and don’t intend to upgrade to the new even more expensive PS5 Pro, the price increases are still going to impact you. It doesn’t seem fair to early investors.

It’s worth noting that a lot of big free-to-play games don’t require PlayStation Plus, but I imagine a lot of those players are likely signed up to the service anyway.

Raising its price when you know so many gamers are already struggling, and you only truly care about your own bottom line really sucks, especially in a world outside of gaming which has made it harder and harder for normal folks to make ends meet. But I bet that Sony has its hopes pinned on this increased price not being a temporary measure that only reflects a currently tumultuous market, but expects us to eventually forget until this new higher asking price becomes normality. If a massive company can get more money from you without you noticing, chances are it will. The same mentality can be applied to dynamic digital pricing we have seen slowly rolled out on the PlayStation Store in recent months.

I’ve been a PlayStation Plus member from day one and have been paying for it and a few free monthly games since long before it was required for online multiplayer. I want to label myself as a loyal customer, but now, for the first time, I’m tempted to walk away because it’s just not worth it anymore. It reminds me of the PS3 generation where PSN stood out since, unlike Xbox Live, it was completely free yet just as capable. Nowadays, I can only picture things getting more expensive and more inaccessible for normal players.