Sony raises PS Plus price after making $5 billion from network services last year

Sony is increasing the price of its baseline PS Plus subscription by $1 as the company aims for more digital profits.

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The games industry is being squeezed right now on the supply and creation side, with SG&A increasing alongside tough-to-procure video games components. While most companies have already trimmed as much fat as comfortably possible, they're still being pressured to deliver continued profits. Companies like Sony have navigated global volatility with record gaming profits, and now PlayStation's digital frontier is being monetized even further.

Starting May 20, Sony is increasing the price of its PS Plus Essential subscription from $9.99 to $10.99, and its 3-month Essential tier is also increasing by $3, from $24.99 to $27.99. The move has been quite unpopular as PS Plus is required for basic features like online play and cloud game save backups, and fans aren't happy about the announcement following the recent PlayStation 5 console price hike.

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This increase also comes after PlayStation generated record-breaking earnings from its Network Services segment, which includes PS Plus subscription revenues. Sony made a strong $5 billion from network in FY25 compared to $4.393 billion in FY24, and made up 16% of total segment revenues for that year.

Since Sony doesn't give out PS Plus subscriber numbers any more we can't infer any kind of actual subscriber growth, however the trio of subscription tiers gives Sony even more opportunities to capture some kind of attachment.

The company expects to deliver record-breaking operating profits in FY26, and the upcoming price hike will undoubtedly help push those numbers towards Sony's goal.