"Reduced offerings and a price hike make PS Plus essential a hard sell."

Ironically feeling less essential than ever, PS Plus is losing its appeal

- By Henry Stockdale

After nearly a decade, last month I cancelled my PlayStation Plus subscription. Ever since getting my launch-day PS4 I’d been paying for the monthly games – not all of them have been winners but Plus introduced me to big names like Yakuza Kiwami and Rocket League. After the recent price hikes, however, I’m no longer getting the same value.

Plus was once solid competition for Xbox’s Games With Gold, though Game Pass’ emergence meant the landscape changed. Last year’s Plus revamp was long overdue for those who wanted more, providing further options across three tiers. I went all-in with Premium, gaining benefits like the games catalogue, cloud streaming, and retro games. Now I wish I’d saved the money.