One of the key differentiators for the Microsoft and Sony console strategies is the day-and-date releases of major first-party games on their subscription services. The former has always been aggressive with Game Pass, leveraging its financial resources to offer first-party games as day-one games. Sony, on the other hand, has never come close to emulating this.
Despite offering multiple subscription tiers through PlayStation Plus, Sony has never committed to releasing its major first-party titles on the service on the same day as launch. Instead, such treatment is typically reserved for select third-party indie games or live-service titles, usually when the gaming giant believes additional exposure might help mitigate the risk of poor reception or low player engagement.
In a recent interview with GameFile, the company reaffirmed its stance. Nick Maguire, vice president of global services at Sony, confirmed there are currently no plans to alter the company’s release strategy. According to Maguire, PlayStation will continue to treat its first-party titles as premium offerings, releasing them at full price before eventually adding them to PlayStation Plus after a certain period.
Sony Maintains Premium Approach
This strategy stands in stark contrast to Microsoft’s model, which ensures that first-party games, including those from newly acquired studios such as Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, launch directly onto both Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one.
Maguire explained that Sony only considers day-one PlayStation Plus releases for games that require broader market exposure or for titles targeting new audiences who might not otherwise engage with the brand. However, he declined to comment on why this approach was not applied to Concord, a recent title that failed to meet expectations.
As PlayStation Plus celebrates its 15th anniversary, Sony plans to mark the occasion by offering Diablo IV to all subscribers across all tiers in July 2025. Yet, even with this celebratory gesture, the overall strategy remains clear: premium first-party experiences will not debut on PlayStation Plus anytime soon.
