Sony Planning Costly Changes to PS Plus?

Sony might evidently be planning some changes, or what they like to refer to as “upgrades” to PS Plus.

For some reason I’m always wary and immediately suspicious when the word “upgrade” gets flung around when it comes to subscription services, because in my cynical little mind, it rarely bodes well. And there is always a catch.

Evidently the changes that Sony could implement might cost subscribers more smackaroos every month. I’m not sure if it will be compulsory or if you will be able to pick a package. Sony kon sê nie….heyooo.

Back in April it surfaced from a prominent industry leaker that Sony was looking to merge its ever growing anime empire with its PlayStation empire, via PlayStation Plus.

Last week Sony finalized its Crunchyroll acquisition, and though it might not mean much for gamers, in the world of anime, this is evidently big news. At the time of the deal being finalized Sony noted its goal to create a unified subscription service between Funimation and Crunchyroll.

Sony had the following to say about the acquisition:

“We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “Anime is a rapidly growing medium that enthralls and inspires emotion among audiences around the globe. The alignment of Crunchyroll and Funimation will enable us to get even closer to the creators and fans who are the heart of the anime community. We look forward to delivering even more outstanding entertainment that fills the world with emotion through anime.”

And…

“Crunchyroll adds tremendous value to Sony’s existing anime businesses, including Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. “With Crunchyroll and Funimation, we are committed to creating the ultimate anime experience for fans and presenting a unique opportunity for our key partners, publishers, and the immensely talented creators to continue to deliver their masterful content to audiences around the world. With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV — everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime. Our goal is to create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible.”

Now you might ask what this has to do with gaming and PlayStation Plus? Well, according to Eurogamer, Sony might be planning to bundle Crunchyroll with PS Plus as a premium version of its subscription service, which currently costs R119 a month, or in American terms, $60 a year.

At the time of the original report, it was suggested that the bundle might include movies and TV, almost something like Apple One, but it still remains to be seen what Sony is actually planning and how it will pan out.

So I guess, it’s a waiting game for now to see if it actually happens and how it will work. They might just make major changes to Crunchyroll and leave gamers in peace. I personally don’t really care about anime, so I hope they will have options at least for those of us who only want PS Plus for gaming purposes.

Last Updated: August 19, 2021