PlayStation reportedly planning service to compete with Xbox Game Pass

Sony first-party games wouldn't necessarily launch day one into the service.

What you need to know

• According to Bloomberg, Sony is working on a new gaming service codenamed Spartacus.
• The service would combine PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus, with different tiers available.
• The service is currently being planned to launch in early 2022.

Sony is planning to launch a service to rival Xbox Game Pass, according to a report from Bloomberg. The service, codenamed Spartacus, is meant to combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, and could launch as early as Spring 2022.

Spartacus reportedly has three tiers, with the first essentially being PlayStation Plus as it currently exists. The second would add a library of PS4 and PS5 games. The third tier would bundle in game streaming, including access to older PlayStation titles across PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP, similar to how PlayStation Now currently allows subscribers to stream games. The report also suggests that with the introduction of Spartacus, Sony would phase out PlayStation Now branding.

Xbox Game Pass includes access to Xbox first-party titles from across Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. Bloomberg's report does not indicate if games from PlayStation Studios would be available day one to subscribers.

Sony is currently planning to launch multiple major games in 2022, including the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Guerrilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West and Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok.

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