Sony has confirmed at their E3 press conference, that if users want to play PS4 games online, they will require PlayStation Plus in order to do so. It is a way that the company can keep making money after selling the console, just like Microsoft has been doing for years on their Xbox Live Memberships.
Not buying PlayStation Plus will not disable the console, if the user wishes to play games that are offline; it will work along with all the media services on the console.
Any current PlayStation Plus membership will be transferable to the PS4 and users can have the membership on all their devices PS3, PS4, and PS Vita.
PlayStation Plus members on the PS4 will immediately get the Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition game during the first year. Sony has also confirmed that the members will be getting a free game every month, and a couple of those upcoming titles are Don’t Starve, Outlast, and Secret Ponchos.
Even though many players dread paying to play online, PlayStation Plus actually has some great benefits involved. During the E3 conference it is shown that PlayStation Plus has, “discounted games, cloud saves, automatic game updates, early access to beta programs, instant game collection, and immersive multiplayer online on PS4.” All for less than $5/month.
The current price for PlayStation Plus membership on the PlayStation Store and PlayStation.com is $17.99 for 3 months, or $49.99 for a year. We are not sure if the prices are subject to change when the PS4 comes around.
Do you think Sony charging for online play a good business move?