The new PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers are only there to prevent from subscribers to change their minds and jump ship according to an analyst.
MIDiA Research Senior Analyst and Product Manager Karol Severin recently spoke with media outlet WCCFTech to talk about the new PS Plus thee tier system and what it was actually designed for.
According to the analyst, it is wrong to think that the new PS Plus system is a “game changer” for driving new users to PlayStation Network from the outside. It is actually opposite: it is to prevent from current subscribers from transferring to a different subscription service. He believes it was specifically designed to make existing users forget the notion of abandoning PS Plus and moving to Xbox Game Pass.
“I think the move is more designed towards managing and fostering PlayStation’s existing user base effectively rather than going after new users,” Severin explained. “In particular, in terms of managing churn and diluting the temptation of existing users to switch over to Xbox Game Pass.”
Severin also believes that the subscription model like the PS Plus will dominate the games industry, but it will not happen overnight and will not happen everywhere equally. It will all depend on the location and other factors that could change the situation. He made China an example as the subscription model would not work well there due to the many limitations on games engagement.
The new PS Plus three tier system will start this coming June 2022.