PlayStation is working on a "counterpunch" to Xbox Game Pass, according to a former developer.
The claim comes from former God of War director David Jaffe. "I’ve said time and again that people who are writing Jim Ryan’s obituary are way premature," Jaffe said in a video published yesterday to his YouTube channel (via VGC). "We had the guy on the show yesterday that had made the petition to fire Jim Ryan and I was like, ‘dude, that’s way premature’ because Jim Ryan doesn’t owe anybody, Sony doesn’t owe anybody, the truth about what’s coming and what their counterpunch to Game Pass is," he continued. Jaffe went on to claim that he's spoken to multiple people at Sony familiar with the company's plans, adding that "there will be a response to Game Pass."
This isn't the first time we've heard of Sony preparing some sort of response to Xbox's Game Pass initiative. Shortly after the launch of the PS5 in November 2020, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan hinted at some sort of response, saying that "there is actually news to come, but just not today," when asked whether Sony would react to Microsoft's subscription service.
It's hard to not wonder about Sony's potential response to Xbox Game Pass, given that service's strong additions over past weeks. People Can Fly's Outriders launched on Xbox Game Pass for console players, and it's rumored that EA's unannounced Battlefield 6 could be headed to Xbox Game Pass as a day one launch title for Xbox consoles later this year. The service has also had a knock-on effect for Xbox's business elsewhere, as boss Phil Spencer recently revealed that Xbox Game Pass subscribers spend 20% more overall on gaming than those who aren't subscribed to the service.
Meanwhile, Sony's PlayStation Now line up saw two high-profile additions this past week, but with a crucial catch. While subscribers could download and play Marvel's Avengers and Borderlands 3, they were restricted to playing the PS4 versions of both games, with the free PS5 upgrades for both games being locked off to those who were playing through the subscription service.
If you're still trying to pick up Sony's next-gen console, head over to our PS5 deals guide for an up-to-date list of retailers with current and projected stock.
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