Sony’s upcoming next-generation console might not just introduce new shiny hardware in the console race. The PS6 could also completely change how the PlayStation online subscription works. According to a leaked internal email, the company is reportedly planning to phase out the long-running PlayStation Network branding. It is instead pivoting toward a broader digital subscription model.
The report comes from insider William R. Aguilar, who claims the email confirms a transition that Sony teams have known about for years. According to him, Sony has been planning revisions to its online services strategy since at least 2023, following the restructuring of PlayStation Plus into Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers. Those changes introduced game catalogs and laid the groundwork for something much bigger than just online multiplayer features.
The long-term goal, he suggests, is to unify Sony’s entire digital ecosystem — from games, movies, shows, and potentially even anime — under a single subscription service. Yep, likely, the current PlayStation Network subscription pricing isn’t sticking around when PS6 rolls out. Right now, PlayStation Plus Premium costs around $159.99 per year, but if services like Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Core are folded into it, don’t expect it to stay at that price.
After all, you’re not just paying for cloud saves and online multiplayer access anymore. You’re going to be paying for the whole Sony digital ecosystem.
Some of you may have noticed the relatively new service called Sony Pictures Core which allows you to buy or rent any movie that Sony owns. Included with your PS+ Subscription, you have access to a selection of these movies that you can watch at no additional charge. This type of integration will expand in the next console generation.
But there’s a catch; something that could be a dealbreaker for gamers.
Unlike Xbox’s Game Pass, Sony reportedly has no plans to drop first-party PlayStation games into the new subscription service on day one. Aguilar notes that it would risk undercutting full-price sales, and they would likely be added in much later — likely ‘years after launch’.
Aguilar theorizes the subscription could extend to PC and mobile, but not in the way some might hope. Most games won’t have native PC ports and may be locked behind PS6 Remote Play or cloud streaming from Sony’s servers. This could reinforce the signs that Sony is returning to its hardware-first approach, as it’s pulling back on releasing AAA single-player experiences on PC.
Aguilar added that Sony could share details at the upcoming Business Segment Meeting this spring, sometime in May or June. Even if it doesn’t, the changes to the PlayStation Network subscription should be ready ‘in time for the PS6.’
For now, none of these changes have been confirmed by Sony. But if the leak checks out, the PlayStation Network name — first introduced with the PS3 — might not survive the jump to the PS6 era. In its place, though, Sony could be building something much bigger than a gaming service alone.
