Sony has removed the option for gamers to purchase a subscription to its PS Now service from UK retailers. The company behind the PS5 issued a statement to Game stores explaining that the subscription cards had been pulled in an effort to streamline its offerings by utilizing PlayStation gift cards instead. This action comes after several rumors have said Sony plans to completely overhaul their PS Plus service by combining it with PS Now and creating a competitor to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass.
Unsurprisingly, Sony’s statement does not hint at the upcoming service as it has not been officially announced. The statement to Game retailers said, “Stores have until the close of day Wednesday 19, January to remove all POS and ESD cards from all customer-facing areas and update their digital bays in line with this week’s upcoming commercial update.” Reports say that US and Canadian retailers have also begun removing PS Now cards both in-store and online.
A PlayStation spokesperson said on the PS Now card removal, “Globally, we are moving from PlayStation Now gift cards to focus on our current cash denomination PlayStation gift cards, which can be redeemed for PlayStation Now.” Sony making moves to prioritize gift cards makes sense as it will be easier during the potential PS Plus transition.
PlayStation Now is a cloud-streaming and game subscription service. It first launched in the US in January 2014 and has offered a large collection of games to its subscribers ever since. Where PS Now grants access to hundreds of games to players, PS Plus is a separate subscription service that gives members PS4, and sometimes PS5, games to download each month, as well as access to online gaming. Subscribers can keep the games as long as they are members. By combing these services, Sony has the potential to create a formidable opponent to the popular Xbox Game Pass. Hopefully, the rumored service comes sooner rather than later.
