After last year’s rumors that PlayStation was ready to ditch PC ports for its biggest games, Sony has finally come forward and confirmed the uncomfortable truth. Yes, PlayStation Studios Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst reportedly told staff that its ‘narrative single-player’ games are staying home on PlayStation. And if that bit of bad news wasn’t enough, Sony also announced that PlayStation Plus subscription prices are going up by as much as $3 starting May 20.
On X, Sony confirms that PlayStation Plus Essential subscription prices will be increased starting May 20 due to ‘ongoing market conditions.’ The first time since the 2023 controversial price hike. For new subscribers, the 1-month plan will now start at $10.99, while the 3-month subscription jumps to $27.99. Sony has not confirmed whether existing subscribers are immediately affected, but it marks another increase amid the gaming industry’s recent wave of price hikes. Below is the current comparison between the old and the updated PlayStation Plus pricing:
| PlayStation Plus | Before | New Price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Month | $9.99 | $10.99 | +$1.00 |
| 3-Month | $24.99 | $27.99 | +$3.00 |
At the same time, a new scoop from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier now confirms that Sony is going all-in on PlayStation exclusivity. Last year, we reported rumors about the company ‘scrapping’ PC ports of Ghost of Yotei and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine. Today, CEO Hermen Hulst reportedly told staff during a company town hall meeting that its first-party single-player games will remain PlayStation exclusive.
While Schreier did not specify the exact reasoning behind the decision, the explanation may be fairly simple. Reports suggest many PlayStation PC ports arrived too late to capitalize on launch hype, generating smaller returns compared to Sony’s own digital storefront. Xbox’s rumored Project Helix might also have played a role. As reportedly some PlayStation executives were ‘not thrilled’ about seeing franchises like God of War appear on rival platforms.
Still, not everything is shutting down. Multiplayer-focused games, including Arc System Works’ fighting game Marvel Tokon, are still expected to launch across PlayStation and PC. Third-party or externally developed projects like Kena: Scars of Kosmora may also still be given more flexibility in terms of platform.
For better or worse, Sony appears to be going back to the basics of selling a console. Lock down the anticipated exclusives and keep players in the PlayStation ecosystem — while charging a little more along the way.
