The stacking of PS Plus and PS Now subscriptions before the new service was rolled out has finally been resolved by Sony.
Savvy shoppers started signing up for PS Now subscriptions last month. The sales boost was aimed at making the most of what looked like a pretty big loophole for the upcoming new PS Plus service. In a nutshell, due to maintaining current subscriptions, members figured they could save up to 50% on PS Plus Premium and purchased years of PS Now subscriptions to maximize the savings.
Sony didn’t weigh in, but existing PS Plus members started receiving emails saying they would “keep any stacked subscription period” they had already paid for. So for one hot minute it looked like they got away with it. But thanks to the new FAQ page, we have official confirmation that this is really not the case.
PS Now prepaid voucher | New subscriber | PS Plus Essential | PS Plus Extra | PS Plus Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 month | 17 days of PS Plus Premium | 31 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 31 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 17 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
3 months | 46 days of PlayStation Plus Premium | 92 days of PS Plus Essential | 58 days of PS Plus Extra | 46 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
12 months | 183 days of PlayStation Plus Premium | 365 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 219 days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 183 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
How the PS Now to PS Plus conversion will actually work
Eager Beavers read the initial comments about converting PS Now subscriptions to PS Plus Premium, then set about buying as many PS Now subscriptions as possible. Due to the price difference, the idea was that all stacked subs would be converted to the equivalent time period once the conversion kicked in.
So a 12-month PS Now subscription priced at $59.99 / £49.99 would convert to a 12-month PS Plus Premium subscription. The top tier of the new PS Plus plan will cost $119.99 / £99.99, a saving of 50%.
But Sony’s workaround relies on the monetary value of subscriptions, not duration. So the email notifying customers that their prepaid cumulative subscriptions will be honored still applies. You can get a full breakdown in the table above.
If you’re more interested in how current PS Plus subscriptions will convert to new tiers, check out the table below.
If you have stacked subs, you won’t be able to redeem them until June according to the latest news from Sony.
PS Plus prepaid voucher | New subscriber | PS Plus Essential | PS Plus Extra | PS Plus Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 month | 31 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 31 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 21 days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 17 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
3 months | 92 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 92 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 58 days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 46 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
12 months | 365 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 365 days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 219 days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 183 days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
Sony is disabling stacking of PS Plus and PS Now subscriptions
At this time, Sony has temporarily suspended cumulative memberships. The FAQ explains:
“As we prepare to launch the new PlayStation Plus subscription service, we are working behind the scenes to make the transition as smooth as possible for all of our existing members.
“As part of this work, we have temporarily disabled cumulative memberships for existing customers until after launch.
“Rest assured that your voucher code is still valid and you will be able to redeem your code either when your existing subscription expires and deactivates or after the new PlayStation Plus service has launched in your region, whichever comes first.”
If you’re in the US, the new PS Plus service will go live on June 13. European customers are considering June 22. So hold on tight and don’t forget your vouchers when it’s time to redeem them.