Compare the Difference Between PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now

Sony currently offers quite a few packages of PlayStation-branded gaming services. This makes gamers new to Sony's gaming world sometimes feel like they're lost in a 'maze', not sure which service is best for them.

In this article, we will learn the difference between PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, two quite popular PS4, PS5 and PC compatible game subscription services from Sony.

Main difference

PlayStation Plus is essentially the same as Xbox Live Gold. This service enables online multiplayer gaming for most current PlayStation titles. It allows you to download games for free, as well as offers cloud storage and Share Play support.

Meanwhile, PlayStation Now overall seems more like Netflix. With this service, you can stream compatible PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 games to your PS4, PS5, or PC with a subscription. Plus, you can even download certain games to your console.

In general, both PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now offer the right value for the subscription fee that gamers spend. Here's a more detailed look at each service.

What is PlayStation Plus?

If you want to play games online with other players around the world, PlayStation Plus is the right service. However, for a subscription fee of $9.99/month, PlayStation Plus can give you even more great experiences than that.

First, the service will come with exclusive content for select games, such as Fortnite, offering new, unique experiences that not every player has access to. .

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Second, PlayStation Plus offers cloud storage features, allowing your PS4 or PS5 to automatically store in-game progress to PlayStation's cloud servers. If you receive a corrupted file or your console game system unexpectedly stops working, the backup will always be available for use through the respective PlayStation Plus account to which you subscribed.

Plus, with PlayStation Plus you can invite other friends to play games with you online through the Share Play feature, even if they don't own the game. You can stream the game to your friends' systems, as if you've provided them with an additional controller to be ready to explore the game with you.

Notably, PlayStation Plus also regularly launches periodic discount programs, even allowing users to experience a large number of games completely for free. These are mostly AAA quality games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Star Wars: Squadrons, The Sims 4, and many other prominent names. PlayStation Plus also has a collection called "PlayStation Plus Collection", which includes 18 top quality games such as God of War, Persona 5, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Until Dawn and Ratchet & Clank (2016). Exclusively for PS5 users.

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What is PlayStation Now?

As mentioned above, PlayStation Now is a game streaming service similar to Netflix for movies. PlayStation Now is separate from PlayStation Plus because it has a much larger library of games, with over 700 titles, spanning the PS2, PS3 and PS4 eras, that you can stream (that is, instantly playable). without downloading the game to the console) or download it to your PS4 or PS5 system on demand. Alternatively, you can also stream the game through the PC app.

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Although PlayStation Now's game stream quality is often not really optimal - you will sometimes encounter problems with frame rate drops and poor picture quality - especially when streaming over WiFi. But in return, the number of games that this service brings is very rich, allowing you to always have the freshest experiences.

PlayStation Now is currently $9.99/month. But you can get a better deal if you extend to three months or a year. Wish you happy gaming!

David Pac

Update 16 July 2021