Sony reportedly has a Game Pass competitor in development

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us? Sony is ratcheting up its competition with Microsoft’s Xbox ecosystem in the form of a competitor to Xbox Game Pass, according to a report from Bloomberg. The report, which cites “people familiar with Sony’s plans and documents viewed by Bloomberg,” alleges that the competitor, code-named Spartacus, will be a tiered subscription plan. Expected to launch in spring 2022, Spartacus will combine PlayStation’s two current subscription services, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, into one service. PlayStation Now has been seen as a failed competitor to Game Pass that lets players stream a limited number of games to their PlayStation consoles. According to the report, PlayStation Now will be phased out entirely, while the PlayStation Plus branding is retained. Spartacus, much like Xbox Game Pass, will reportedly have multiple subscription tiers. The first would provide the same services PlayStation Plus currently gives users, namely access to online multiplayer in games and a select group of free games each month. The next tier up will give users access to a large library of PS4, and eventually, PS5 games. Spartacus’ final tier includes even more content for users, with access to a streaming library made up of PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games, as well as extended demos for games. It’s not clear how much each tier will cost when Sony’s Spartacus actually launches. Regardless of price, Sony has an uphill battle to fight when it comes to claiming any of the game subscription service market share from Microsoft. Xbox Game Pass has been a massive success for the company, driven by game studio acquisitions that have brought the likes of Bethesda under Microsoft’s exclusive umbrella. The internet just about exploded two weeks ago during Gamescom when Team Cherry finally gave the internet what it had been waiting years for: the Silksong release date. Xbox had already revealed that the sequel to one of the most beloved indie games of all time would be a day one addition to Game Pass, and the day has finally come where that promise has come to fruition. While it might look like it online, not everyone is head over heels in love with Hollow Knight and has no interest in its sequel. If that’s you, no worries, because I found two more excellent games you can fire up on your Xbox this weekend and not feel like you’re missing out in the slightest. Hollow Knight: Silksong There’s a lot to say about Borderlands 4’s opening hours, but the game’s first proper raid and boss act as a microcosm for the entire experience. I played the first several hours leading up to this climactic mission, engaging in various side missions, activities, and world events, but I still have dozens more to go. However, it wasn’t until I played this setpiece mission that all of Borderlands 4’s systems came together in a short but sweet symphony of a mission that proudly proclaimed that the series is back and better than ever. It wasn’t that I wasn’t having fun before this mission, only that it gave me a taste of what the best of this style of game can be and awakened a craving for more. What’s more, I can’t wait to experience them again with friends. Sonic is back with another cart racer that is crossing over with all of Sega’s major IPs, but the big question is whether or not the game will bring players on different platforms together. Unlike Sonic Racing: Crossworlds’ biggest competition, Mario Kart World, this is not a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive but will be released on all current and last-gen systems. That means, unlike Mario, Sonic has the opportunity to take the lead by allowing cross-platform play between all consoles and PC. With a name like Sonic Racing: Crossworlds, one would hope that it would embrace crossplay and bring all players together, just like Gears of War: Reloaded and Borderlands 4. I know you gotta go fast, but let’s hit the brakes for a second and talk about Sonic Racing: Crossworlds cross-platform support. Does Sonic Racing: Crossworlds have cross-platform support? Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.