Sony CEO hints at a PlayStation Response to Xbox Game Pass
With the recent release of the PS5, Sony’s CEO Jim Ryan gave an interview to discuss the console. He indicated that Sony has big plans for the future and that includes a response to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft prides itself on its exclusive Xbox Game Pass subscription service. For just $14.99 per month, users gain access to a wide selection of games and premium services. This makes the company unique since its competition has no alternative, but that is about to change.
The Russian news agency, Tass, had an exclusive interview with Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO, Jim Ryan. They asked him about a variety of topics regarding the recent release of the PlayStation 5.
One of the questions was about Sony’s response to Microsoft’s Game Pass, and Ryan gave a vague but interesting answer.
“There is actually news to come, but just not today, ” he said. “We have PlayStation Now which is our subscription service, and that is available in a number of markets.”
This wasn’t what we expected to hear. There was little indication, up to this point, that the company was planning to rival Microsoft’s service. Ryan didn’t elaborate further on what he said, but we assume that Sony plans to offer its users a service that’s even more ambitious than the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
He mentioned that users can use PlayStation Now, which offers users over 800 PS2, PS3, and PS4 titles on the PS4, PS5 and Windows PCs. There’s also PlayStation Plus, which grants online play, new free games each month and discounts.
Tass also asked Jim Ryan about the troubles of launching the PS5 during this hectic year. “Of all the things that I’ve learned this year,” he stated, “One is that I wouldn’t plan on doing another big console launch in the midst of a global pandemic, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody else.“
He elaborated on the problems they faced from the production side but said that he is pleased with the opening weeks’ sales numbers. The console sold out almost immediately in North America and Europe. Sony’s PS5 sales exceeded the Xbox Series X/S by four times in Japan.
The interview also covered topics like the significance of exclusive games, rising prices, and the transition of players from the PS4 to the PS5. We don’t know what Sony has up their sleeve to match the Xbox Game Pass, but we’ll wait to find out.
