Sony's New Gaming Subscription PlayStation Plus Vs. Microsoft Game Pass - How Analysts View It - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Sony Gr (NYSE:SONY)

Sony Group SONY bundled its existing PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now services into one single subscription service called PlayStation Plus.
Sony's move seems to pit it against Microsoft Corp's MSFT Xbox Game Pass game subscription service, Reuters reports.
The revamped Sony service combines the current PlayStation Plus, which has 48 million subscribers, with PlayStation Now, which has 3.2 million users, versus Game Pass, which has 25 million subscribers.
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The service will not include new releases, but users can still enjoy "Returnal," "God of War," and "Spider-Man: Miles Morales."
Microsoft accounted for 60% of the games subscriptions in North America and Europe, compared with 7% for Sony, as per Reuters.
Sony's premium tier annual fee was $120 compared to $180 for Game Pass Ultimate.
An annual subscription to the mid-tier PlayStation Plus Extra, lacking cloud-gaming features, amounted to over $8 monthly, compared with $9.99 for the Game Pass.
Sony's holding back new releases may dampen enthusiasm, analysts said.
Given the high cost of developing new games, analysts had raised concerns that pressure to bundle more content with subscriptions may eat into profit at Sony's coveted games unit.
Analysts expected the move to drive Sony's higher-tier subscribers and boost margins.
Price Action: SONY shares traded higher by 1.44% at $106.54 on the last check Tuesday.

Sony's New Gaming Subscription PlayStation Plus Vs. Microsoft Game Pass - How Analysts View It