The truth is that the PlayStation 5 is a complete console, with some fantastic features. However, if we're being honest, the PS5 can't compete with Microsoft on many levels.
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First of all, it should be clarified that Microsoft is not relying solely on selling an Xbox Series X. With Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the company has created a revenue stream that is available on Xbox consoles, PCs, Android phones, and soon, iOS devices and browsers.
Instead, Sony relies on PS5 console sales to make money. It can't generate revenue from users who don't own its hardware. So traditionally, software sales, add-ons, subscriptions, and accessories have been the company's biggest earners.
Once Sony sells a PS5, it needs to turn that hardware loss into profit. It's no surprise that Sony's hottest products cost $70, and it continues to sign exclusivity deals with third-party publishers like Square Enix for blockbuster games like Final Fantasy 16. It's also trying to make PlayStation Plus more appealing, including 20 free games for PS5 owners, and PS Now has also added the option to download games. However, the list of games is still much smaller than Microsoft's equivalent service, which continues to grow.
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Microsoft, for its part, simply wants to attract more subscribers to Xbox Game Pass. If it manages to sell content, it's a huge bonus and obviously lucrative, but it's no longer solely dependent on the need to do so.
Microsoft's subscription service lets you access hundreds of games for a monthly fee of $9.99 (€8.30). Every game on Xbox Game Pass can also be purchased at a 20% discount if you'd rather keep it forever, and downloadable content is 10% off. Subscribers also get access to every Xbox Game Studios title on day one, which includes Gears 5, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, and upcoming games like Halo Infinite, Everwild, and Forza Motorsport.
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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99, offers even more perks. With an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you get all of the above, plus access to Xbox Game Pass on PC, Xbox Live, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), perks for various titles, and EA Play. If you're someone who loves to play games, especially across multiple platforms, this is a great deal.
To get an equivalent experience on the PS5, you'll have to pay $9.99 (€8.30) per month for PS Plus, $9.99 for PS Now, and $4.99 (€4.15) per month for EA Play, for a total of $24.97 (€20.76) per month, and you don't get access to cloud gaming on Android devices or the option to download and play PS4 or PS5 titles on PC.
So it seems like it's time for Sony to do more to satisfy users who have made the decision to get a PS5 and not just try to lure new players with one or two high-profile games.
