PS Plus Gift Cards Are Back, But There's A Catch
PlayStation fans have experienced quite a few shake-ups over the past year. First, rumors began that Sony would be phasing out its PS Now service. The subscription service, which could be added onto PS Plus, gave members access to a host of games over the various generations of PlayStation. When Sony began phasing out PS Now subscription cards, it added fuel to the fire of speculation that something new was on the way.
These predictions proved accurate when Sony confirmed what everyone suspected by verifying it would be ending PS Now and, in its place, rolling out new tiers of PS Plus. While the standard PS Plus subscription, now branded PS Plus Essential, would remain and stay at the same price, two new versions of PS Plus were unveiled that would incorporate the old PS Now benefits along with some new perks. This caused an uproar among some, prompting Sony to respond to the backlash.
Despite the controversy, Sony proved committed to the change and seemed to be phasing out PS Plus subscription cards. Previously, PlayStation users could pay for a PS Plus subscription with a credit card or by buying subscription cards in one, three, or twelve-month denominations, sometimes at a discount. When these cards began disappearing from shelves, it was a sign that Sony was discontinuing them in anticipation of the rollout of PS Plus tiers, ending subscription stacking via prepaid cards before introducing the revamped service. Now, it looks like PS Plus cards are coming back, but not everybody will be happy with the new system.
New PS Plus, New Cards
According to UK gaming site PushSquare, Sony is launching new PS Plus cards to make it easier to subscribe to the various PS Plus tiers, they aren't coming in the form of traditional subscription cards. Rather than issuing the old one, three, and twelve-month cards for the various tiers, Sony is releasing gift cards in new amounts. For example, there now seems to be a $110 card available that would cover a year of PS Plus Deluxe with tax.
Some mayfind it encouraging that Sony is offering tier-specific gift cards, especially those who want to buy some version of PS Plus without having to use a credit card. Still, many will likely wish they could still simply buy subscription cards rather than having to go through the extra step of redeeming the gift card and then paying for the subscription separately. Some, like Shabana Arif at Tech Radar, are already calling the new system "a confusing mess." With three different tiers of PS Plus, however, Sony is likely trying to make it easier for retailers to display their cards. Multiple versions of subscription cards for three different versions of PS Plus would probably make for a messy shelf.