As subscription services in the general entertainment space have proliferated, each offering access to unique catalogs of movies and television shows, they have become commonplace in the video game industry too. Major publishers keep their games in one digital collection, from EA Play to Ubisoft+. However,console manufacturers arguably have the biggest subscription services:Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, and Xbox Game Pass are huge draws for fans of each respective platform.
RELATED:Nintendo 64 Games That Should Appear in the Second ‘Wave’ of Switch Online Support
How PlayStation Plus Expanded
PlayStation Plus first launched in 2010, making it a staple for Sony consoles since the PS3 era. While much of the PS4 and PS5 generations have been spent with one blanket service that opens up online multiplayer, cloud storage for game saves, exclusive discounts, and two free downloadable titles each month, in March 2022 Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan detailed the company’s intent to expand PS Plus and combine it with thestreaming service PlayStation Now.
The newPS Plus tiers breakdown went live on June 13, offering users a choice in how much content they wanted to access at once. All three tiers currently on offer are:
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
Nintendo Switch Online went through a similar recent change that added different subscription tiers. Those who bought the hybrid console at launch were able to access online multiplayer in games likeSplatoon 2for free throughout its first year. The paid Switch Online service launched in September 2018 with access to a library of NES titles that would expand over the subsequent years. Even more benefits would accrue alongside it, such as a SNES library and access togames likeTetris 99.
RELATED:Nintendo Switch Online’s GBA Emulator is Only a Matter of Time
How Switch Online can Learn From PS Plus Premium
While a lot of vitriol was levied at Nintendo soon after Switch Online + Expansion Pack was revealed, its offerings have become more appealing. Classic N64 games such asPaper MarioandThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, withPokemon Snapbeing introduced later this month, tend to compound its value more than lesser-known NES games. DLC added to the Expansion Pack tier also continues to grow, with offerings likeSplatoon 2’s Octo Expansion suggesting any older Switch game could eventually be enhanced.
Nintendo has a rich history in the console space that stretches at least a decade prior to Sony’s PlayStation brand, and the inclusion of handheld systems (as well as unique control schemes inherent to consoles like the Wii) might make it more difficult to pull a comprehensive set of libraries together. Yet,Nintendo Switch Online- and future consoles - would greatly benefit from having access to each generation in one fell swoop the way Sony has pushed its PlayStation Plus Premium tier. Whether that means revampingNintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack or adding a third, more expansive “premium” tier that goes beyond the N64 and DLC, it would only help Nintendo in the long-run.
MORE:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Passes Should Come to Nintendo Switch Online Next
