PlayStation has confirmed that it won’t be following in the footsteps of Xbox Game Pass. PlayStation and Xbox are often seen as huge rivals, though it seems like that rivalry is softening a bit as time goes on. Xbox has put key games on PlayStation, including one of its tentpole titles in Gears of War. PlayStation hasn’t necessarily returned the favor unless you count MLB The Show, though that seemed to be on MLB’s part rather than PlayStation’s. Nevertheless, Xbox and PlayStation are still competitors in a sense, but they are doing their own very unique things. Xbox wants to be everywhere that has a screen through streaming, native gameplay, and more. PlayStation is still operating traditionally, though.
Xbox really shook things up last generation with the introduction of Xbox Game Pass, a Netflix-like subscription that gives you hundreds of video games at no extra cost. The library is always rotating new games in and out and all of Xbox’s first-party games, including Call of Duty, are made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one. It’s a big swing and one that has led many to wonder how both Xbox and developers are even making any money on this thing.
PlayStation introduced its own PlayStation Plus catalog that is similar to Game Pass and brings in some great older games every month. It’s a great service that allows players to play on a budget, discover new games, and dip into older games they may have missed. However, PlayStation has always separated itself in one distinct way: none of the PlayStation Studios games are available on the service day one. If you want to play a great new game like Death Stranding 2, you have to cough up the $70 to buy it. It seems that won’t be changing anytime soon either.
PlayStation Won’t Put Any PS5 Exclusives on PS Plus On Day One
When speaking to Game File, PlayStation vice president of global services Nick Maguire revealed that it has no plans to put any of its games on PlayStation Plus on day one or even shortly after their release. Instead, PlayStation has focused on independent games that they can platform through the service and putting those on the subscription service on release day.
“We’ve sort of stayed true to our strategy across the board, where we’re not looking to put games in day and date,” Maguire said. “[…] Our strategy of finding four or five independent day-and-date titles—and using that to complement our strategy of bringing games in when they’re 12, 18 months old or older—that balance for us is working really well across the platform.”
Years have passed before a PS5 game has been added to PlayStation Plus as God of War Ragnarok came to the service in early 2025 after releasing on PS5 in November 2022. It clearly means that not only does PlayStation have faith in it service without these big heavy hitters, but it also likely means that these games are selling for months and even years after their release and there’s no reason to give it away in mass.
What do you think of PlayStation’s decision to not put any games on PlayStation Plus on day one? Let me know in the comments below.
