Xbox Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus Collection: who currently wins the duel of the titans?

On 13 June, Sony launched a refreshed version of PlayStation Plus with three subscription plans Essential, Extra and Premium. How does the revamped PS Plus compare to the games subscription service created by Microsoft? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both variants? What capabilities do they offer? And finally, what should you choose, Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus? Find out who will be the winner of this battle in the eternal duel between Sony and Microsoft.

PlayStation Plus – what is it?

PlayStation Plus is a subscription service allowing access to a catalogue of selected games provided by Sony. A new version of the service was launched on 13 June 2022, featuring three subscription options: Essential, Extra and Premium. Each option has its advantages. These include significant discounts on the PlayStation Store, access to online multiplayer, the ability to upload up to 100 GB of saved game files to PlayStation servers and three downloadable games each month at no extra charge. The given functionalities are available to all subscribers, even at the basic subscription level.

And what do you get when you pay more? The higher package, meanwhile, gives you access to an extensive catalogue of up to 400 games for PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles. The highest paid subscription, the ‘Premium’ level, adds access to downloadable games for PlayStation 1/2/Portable, limited trial versions of some games and the ability to stream some games in the cloud.

It’s pretty good. It would be interesting to see what Microsoft has in store.

Xbox Game Pass – what is it?

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription portal that launched on 1 June 2017. Xbox Live Gold subscribers then received priority access on 24 May of the same year and were able to seamlessly transition to the new service. Both are nothing more than refreshed online video game subscription services offered by Microsoft.

Both services provide users with access to a huge and updated catalogue of games from a variety of publishers and genres. Xbox Game Pass also allows users to take advantage of other premium services, including Xbox Live Gold and EA Play. All this is for one monthly subscription price. Xbox Game Pass can be used on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles, as well as on Android, iOS and iPadOS devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming. So it is a flexible option that allows mobile gaming.

Xbox Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus – game titles comparison

Sony’s service has 570 downloadable PS4 or PS5 games, 150 are PS3 classics for streaming, and the remaining 37 are so-called oldies from PS1 and PS2 for which a gentle facelift has been prepared. If one were to end on this, PS Plus Premium would win the poll in the category of the richness of offering, but does quantity translate into quality?

The PlayStation Plus games collection looks impressive, although, for someone who has been playing PS4 games for the last few years, it probably won’t be too appealing. Anyone who has owned an older console has certainly already used their custom PS5 controller to play titles such as God of War or Uncharted 4, so they may pass them up again for sentimental reasons. PlayStation Plus, however, is an offer of three games made available to all subscribers every month, which you can add to your library and play for as long as you pay for your subscription. Recent games released include Greedfall, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Battlefield V, Control: Ultimate Edition, Concrete Genie, Wreckfest, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Oddworld: Soulstorm.

The answer, however, is not clear how Sony fares in the duel with Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass catalogue currently numbers nearly 400 titles. And on top of that, new titles appear in Xbox Game Pass much faster than in PlayStation Plus, as on average there are up to a dozen per month. In addition, by subscribing to Xbox Game Pass, you also have access to all games developed by Xbox Game Studios. You can try out your custom Xbox Series X controller on games such as Outer Worlds 2, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, The Evil Within 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Doom Eternal, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, Starfield, A Plague Tale: Innocence and many more. For the moment, therefore, Xbox Game Pass is gaining a minimal advantage.

Below you will see some of the most important titles and their availability

Xbox Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus – price

Xbox Game Pass costs from $9.99 per month for the cheapest option, and up to $14.99 per month for the Ultimate subscription package. The first-pack subscription provides access to the library and costs $10 per month. Microsoft is heavily promoting the Game Pass Ultimate options and has slimmed down the cheaper options. Game Pass Ultimate costs $15 per month and offers cloud gaming features and access to every console and PC game, and works on Xbox consoles, PCs and mobile devices via the cloud.

And how does Sony’s price compare to this? The first PS Plus Essential package costs $10 per month or $60 per year. This Plus offers two downloadable games each month, discounts, and access to online multiplayer and cloud storage features. The second option called Extra costs about $15 per month or $100. In this option, you get everything that the Essential level plus a library of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games to download. PS Plus Premium costs $18 a month or $120 a year and adds 340 games from the original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3 and PS4 plus streaming options to the previous option.

 Xbox Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus – who wins in 2022?

There is no clear answer to this question. A lot depends on which brand you chose beforehand. If you already have all the PS consoles, and a custom PlayStation 5 controller and couldn’t wait for the new PS5 games, then go for PlayStation Plus. On the other hand, if you can’t wait to try out the custom Xbox Series X controller, then waste no time and fly for an Xbox subscription. Yet, bear in mind that Microsoft’s expensive sub is the most cost-effective. In any case, both should not disappoint you.