Earlier today, multiple outlets reported that Sony may be looking to add a video component to its premium online service, PlayStation Plus, that would give subscribers access to movies and television shows. A logo and description of the possible addition to PS Plus were first spotted by Video Games Chronicle.
As of this writing, Sony has not yet commented on the existence of the service, so there’s nothing official just yet. However, VGC said that the logo was found “on Sony’s official website,” and the Sony Poland website advertised the potential service as:
A new benefit available for a limited time on PlayStation Plus… PS Plus Video Pass is a trial service active 22.04.21 – 22.04.22. The subscription benefit is available to PS Plus users in Poland.
The wording of the description could mean that Sony is looking to test the service in certain markets ahead of a full launch sometime later. As pointed out by VGC and elsewhere, it’s unclear if other regions outside of Poland would have access to the trial at the same time or what, if any, other markets have been chosen for the trial.
The movies teased by the Poland website advertisement include Venom (2018), Zombieland Double Tap (2019), and Bloodshot (2020). As with the rest of the potential PlayStation Plus Video Pass Service, there are a lot of unknowns here, such as if these are the only movies available in the possible trial or if other films and/or TV shows may be included.
Others have pointed out that these are all Columbia Pictures films, as well, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
Since PlayStation Plus launched through PlayStation Network in 2010, it’s been entirely focused on providing subscribers premium features in and around gaming. The service provides a number of benefits, including a selection of complimentary games monthly. Since the launch of the PlayStation 5 in November 2020, the service now includes at least three gratis games each month: two PS4 games and one PS5 game.
Alongside the launch of the PlayStation 5, PS Plus subscribers who adopted the platform also have access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, a small, if relatively substantial, catalog of some of the PS4’s more recent greatest hits, including Resident Evil 7, God of War, Persona 5, The Last Guardian, and Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End.
While Sony hasn’t yet taken Microsoft’s lead and made any games available as Day-One additions to PlayStation Plus (and ostensibly, it’s a service that provides a slightly different value proposition than Game Pass), adding film and television shows could bolster the value of PS Plus, which currently costs $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
[Header image and copy image source: VGC]
