Is PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Better? (2024) (2024)

A big question for many in 2024 is which service is better: PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass? Both give access to numerous games for a monthly fee, but they go about it in different ways, resulting in different user experiences. Some tiers have different costs but tend to give more if subscribers are willing to pay more. However, the best value for the dollar will be determined by looking at prices, game libraries, and overall value.

Choosing between gaming subscriptions depends on what users like to play and what’s important to them. There's a lot that goes into these subscriptions because companies want a bigger user base. Sony and Microsoft have differing strategies when it comes to what they offer. However, they can't offer so much that they lose money, so each service tries to offer what they can without giving away games that are too good.

Game Libraries & Variety

How The Games On PlayStation Plus & Xbox Game Pass Stack Up

The main difference between PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass is how they offer games. PlayStation Plus, especially in its Extra and Premium tiers, has a good selection of PlayStation 4 and 5 games, including popular exclusives like God of War Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Horizon Forbidden West. However, its game library isn't as big as that of Game Pass. A good quality of the Premium tier is that some older PlayStation games can be streamed. Still, the quality and availability of this feature can be inconsistent depending on where a user lives and the reliability of their internet connection.

Xbox Game Pass focuses on having many games. It offers hundreds of titles across different membership levels, covering many genres. One of its main advantages is it features new releases from Xbox Game Studios, like Starfield and the upcoming Avowed and India Jones and The Great Circle. These are offered as soon as they come out, giving it an edge over PlayStation Plus, and the quality of game streaming is great, too.

Although it might not have as many big-name games as PlayStation Plus, Game Pass makes up for it with a wide variety of indie and smaller games, which keeps the gaming experience fresh. This approach is great for players who enjoy playing different games. In the end, PlayStation Plus has a smaller collection of high-quality titles, while Xbox Game Pass gives many options to choose from, and Xbox's console exclusives are all open to subscribers, including older ones. Which one is better really depends on whether players prefer a large library or prestigious individual games.

Value for Money & Pricing Tiers

Xbox Game Pass & PlayStation Plus Tiers Compared

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass have different tiers. PlayStation Plus has three: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The Essential tier gives online multiplayer, cloud saves, and a few free games every month, similar to what Xbox Live Gold used to offer. The Extra level includes a larger library of downloadable games for PS4 and PS5. The Premium tier lets subscribers play classic PlayStation games from PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 through streaming, and it also offers game trials, making it better for retro gaming. Prices for these tiers can differ by region but generally increase with each level.

Xbox Game Pass has four plans: Core, Standard, PC Game Pass, and Ultimate. The Core plan includes online multiplayer and a smaller selection of games, similar to PlayStation Plus Essential. Standard is for Xbox console users and gives access to a large library of games. The PC Game Pass offers the same type of access but for PC users. Ultimate combines both console and PC access, includes online multiplayer, letting players get to new games on the day they are released, and comes with EA Play.

As seen in the table above, the best value is PlayStation Plus. PlayStation offers discounts for paying in advance. Microsoft has often changed the Game Pass pricing of plans and what each plan offers. As of writing, subscribers can't get a yearly subscription; it doesn't even appear on the subscriber page for those already subscribed. So, PlayStation is the clear winner here.

Features Beyond Games

What Comes With Xbox Game Pass Or PlayStation Plus?

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass offer extra features to help users decide which service to choose, but these bonus offerings are mostly the same. PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass Core come with online play included. Both services also include cloud saving. Both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass offer discounts. PlayStation Plus regularly has sales on the PlayStation Store, allowing users to save money on both new and older games. Likewise, both tiers of Xbox Game Pass provide discounts on games, encouraging subscribers to buy more games.

While they both seem like they're the same, with Game Pass being noticeably better to stream on, a major difference comes from the accessibility of Game Pass. Game Pass is offered on many devices, and it has even been included in the Amazon Fire Stick. Microsoft is moving to a future that doesn't need a console, which would explain why the streaming is great. So, this gives subscribers a chance to play games on more than just their console.

The Verdict: Which Service Is Better

Should You Pick PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass?

If the subscriber has just a PlayStation or Xbox, they choose that subscription, clearly. PlayStation Plus and Game Pass are great on their own. However, if there's a choice between the two or the purchase of a console depends on the subscription, Game Pass is the better choice. It has great games, day one access, and players can play some games they own from multiple devices. It's hard to beat that kind of deal.

PlayStation Plus Premium is a great option either way, and I've personally been a subscriber for over 15 years and have never regretted it. However, I've been a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass since it started, and it's the one I go to more often. It's an overall better service, and there are normally great games with reliable streaming. Ultimately, it's up to the subscriber to choose the right subscription, what console they own, their favorite games, and what they're willing to spend.

PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus is a subscription service from Sony that gives players access to additional PlayStation features for subscribers, such as full online game access, free games, and exclusive discounts. The program was initially released in 2010 with the PlayStation 3 and since has grown to be a larger platform for the brand, allowing Sony to extend the service to include game streaming via console or apps from different providers.

Brand

Sony

App Store

PlayStation Store

Original Release Date

June 29, 2010

Original MSRP (USD)

$59.99 (Essential), $99.99 (Extra), $119.99 (Premium) - Per Year