PS Plus and PS Now subscription stacking in advance of the new service rollout has finally been addressed by Sony.
Savvy shoppers started snapping up PS Now subscriptions last month. The surge in sales was to make the most of what looked like a pretty big loophole for the upcoming new PS Plus service. In a nutshell, because of how current subscriptions will carry over, members thought they could save up to 50% on PS Plus Premium and bought up years' worth of PS Now subscriptions to maximize the savings.
Sony didn't weigh in, but existing PS Plus members began receiving emails that stated they'd "keep any stacked subscription period" they'd already paid for. So for a hot minute, it looked like they'd gotten away with it. But thanks to the new FAQ page, we have official confirmation that that's very much not the case.
| PS Now pre-paid voucher | New subscriber | PS Plus Essential | PS Plus Extra | PS Plus Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 17 days of PS Plus Premium | 31 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 31 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 17 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
| 3 months | 46 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium | 92 days of PS Plus Essential | 58 days of PS Plus Extra | 46 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
| 12 months | 183 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium | 365 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 219 Days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 183 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
How PS Now to PS Plus conversion will actually work
Eager beavers read the initial comments about PS Now subscriptions converting to PS Plus Premium and then went ham on buying up as many PS Now memberships as possible. Because of the price difference, the thinking was that any stacked subs would convert to the equivalent time period once the conversion came into action.
So a 12-month PS Now subscription priced at $59.99 / £49.99 would convert to a 12-month PS Plus Premium membership. The top tier of the new PS Plus plan will cost $119.99 / £99.99, so that's a 50% saving.
But Sony's workaround hinges on the monetary value of the subscriptions, and not the duration. So the email telling customers that their pre-paid stacked subscriptions will be honored still applies. You can get a full breakdown in the chart above.
If you're more interested in how current PS Plus subscriptions will convert into the new tiers, check out the table below.
If you have stacked subs, you won't be able to redeem them until June according to the latest from Sony.
| PS Plus pre-paid voucher | New subscriber | PS Plus Essential | PS Plus Extra | PS Plus Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 31 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 31 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 21 Days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 17 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
| 3 months | 92 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 92 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 58 Days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 46 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
| 12 months | 365 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 365 Days of PlayStation Plus Essential | 219 Days of PlayStation Plus Extra | 183 Days of PlayStation Plus Premium |
Sony disables PS Plus and PS Now subscription stacking
For the moment, Sony has put a temporary hold on the stacking memberships. The FAQ explains:
"As we prepare to launch the new PlayStation Plus membership service, we are doing some work behind the scenes to make the transition as smooth as possible for all of our existing members.
"As part of this work, we’ve temporarily disabled stacking memberships for existing customers until after the launch.
"Rest assured that your voucher code is still valid, and you will be able to redeem your code either when your existing membership expires and deactivates, or after the new PlayStation Plus service launches in your area, whichever happens first."
If you're in the US, the new PS Plus service goes live on June 13. European customers are looking at June 22. So sit tight and don't forget about your vouchers when the time to redeem them rolls around.
- New PS Plus vs. old PS Plus: what’s the difference between them
