PlayStation Plus Essential costs more for new subscribers starting today, May 20. Sony announced the increase on May 18 and blamed "ongoing market conditions."
The one-month Essential plan now starts at $10.99 (9.99€), which is $1 more than before. The three-month plan starts at $27.99 (27.99€).
Essential is the entry tier of the service, and PlayStation owners need a subscription to play most games online. It also includes a small selection of games that rotates every few weeks.
If you already subscribe, nothing changes. Current subscribers pay the new price only if their subscription expires or changes. Turkey and India are the exceptions, where the increase applies to existing subscribers as well.
The increase covers only some regions, and Sony's announcement does not name them. Australia is one: Sony told Press Start that new customers there pay more, while existing subscribers stay on their current price.
It comes after Sony raised PS5 console prices in March, also pointing to market conditions. According to NME, the latest move has angered some fans. A dollar a month is easy to shrug off if you already subscribe, but anyone buying a PS5 now pays more for the console and for online play.
Sony did not mention PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium, the two higher tiers, and has announced no new prices for them.
