3 Attachment(s)
Sony Needs Its Own Game Pass-Like System on PS5
There's no doubt that the PlayStation 4 has been the more popular console of the generation, becoming the second best-selling home console of all time recently. Despite PS4's lead, the Xbox One hasn't performed poorly, and Microsoft has made some serious innovations over the last generation.
The brilliant adaptive controller that makes gaming more accessible, the highly-customizable Pro Controller, and of course, Xbox Game Pass. Basically a Netflix kind of system for games, Game Pass had drastically changed how Xbox users consume content.
It's a feature and value that PlayStation users simply don't have, and as we move into an even more expensive next-generation, Game Pass is going to look even more attractive than ever. With the PS5 looming closer Sony needs its own GamePass like system.
How GamePass Changed Things
We've seen subscription services in games before, but it's only been in the field of renting or streaming. Game Pass is different, as it gives you a massive digital library of over 100 games that you can play in full, whenever you want, as long as you're a subscriber.
For a measly $10 a month you can get access to everything, and Microsoft has since committed to putting every Xbox Game Studios game on Game Pass at launch. Gears 5 was playable on launch day, and when the eventual next Halo comes out, it will be too. This is monumental for users who game on a budget, as it lets you consume as much content as you want for a low, low fee. Past that, at the launch of the next Xbox it could give owners access to a massive library of games right off the bat; much more attractive than just picking up one or two games with the system.
For the price of one PS4 exclusive, you can get six months of Game Pass, the value literally speaks for itself. The age of streaming apps has shown how appealing binging content is to users, and the same idea has led to Game Pass being a resounding success for Microsoft. Players are now getting to experience titles they may not have had the chance to before, and it's even more useful to younger users, who may not have the luxury of an expendable budget. At the beginning of 2019, Microsoft detailed stats on Game Pass, among which was that Game Pass users are increasing their gaming time by 20 percent compared to other users.
The key, of course, is that Sony has put Microsoft to shame in terms of quantity and quality of exclusives, which in turn has helped fuel their enduring success. A new console generation, however, brings everything back to square one.
What Can Sony Do?
Sony already has a massive library of exclusive from the last few console generations, and rumors suggest that the PS5 will have backward compatibility with PS1-PS4.
If Sony can have a Game Pass-like subscription service up at launch, and access to a backlog of games, that's a huge step forward. Users will have hundreds of games to dive into, taking advantage of the upgraded power of the PS5, not to mention any new games on the system. It could also keep it so that any games that release on the PS4 in the future are added to the service. Imagine being able to play the Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us Part II on Sony's Game Pass, day one on the launch of the PS5.
Microsoft changed the game with its service, but Sony now has the chance to define what it will be going forward. Sony's stable of exclusives, both first and third party, have become incredibly robust. The Last of Us, inFamous, Ratchet & Clank, Dreams, Persona, Horizon Zero Dawn, the list goes on. We also know that Horizon Zero Dawn is officially coming to PC, providing Sony with even more opportunities for subscriptions and a Game Pass-like system that goes across console and PC. Right now in the cultural zeitgeist, Sony has the lead, and it needs to come out swinging next generation to really keep that momentum going, and respond to the growing momentum Microsoft has been building.
