Sony Announces PlayStation Plus Price Increase; September 2023 Essential Games Revealed

Sony announced that they’re finally increasing the price on all PlayStation Plus plans. This is the first increase since 2016 when it moved from $49.99 to the soon to be replaced $59.99.

Starting Sept. 6 PlayStation Play Essential will increase from $59.99 to $79.99, €71.99, £59.99, ¥6,800. In addition to the basic plan increasing, PlayStation Plus Extra will now be $134.99, €125.99, £99.99, ¥11,700 and PlayStation Plus Premium will hit $159.99, €151.99, £119.99, ¥13,900. According to the announcement this change was made to “continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service,” which can be best seen with their Sept. 2023 PlayStation Plus Essentials offerings.

Headlining the month is Saints Row on PlayStation 4/5. While it released with an underwhelming Metacritic average of 61, a number of updates and expansions have improved the experience. The final expansion, A Song Of Ice And Dust, released earlier this month to surprisingly high praise.

Next we have Generation Zero on PlayStation 4. Despite the Metacritic average of 45, THQ Nordic had 4 years to improve the experience, resulting in more favorable user reviews. With up to three players battling against fearsome mechs, it has the potential to really stand out.

Closing out the month is Black Desert – Travelers Edition on PlayStation 4. With this bundle players receive the full game, 15 day Value Pack, Pearl Box 1,000, a Polar Bear, Horse Emblem, and 30 days of Trainer’s Flute. It’s a good initial package to see if this is the next big experience for you, or just not your cup of tea.

It will be interesting to see what Sony adds to PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium later this month, but their recent addition of Sea of Stars has been a hit. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going into the holiday season.