According to God of War creator David Jaffe, Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation equivalent of Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has consistently dominated gaming discussions and brought in an untold number of monthly subscribers by including titles like Outriders on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
Sony's current equivalent to Game Pass is PSNow, which can be used to stream games to a number of devices. Xbox Game Pass is considered to be the superior of the two, due to its much bigger library of titles (including the recent glut of Bethesda games), and the fact that games can be downloaded straight to the system for offline play. The Xbox Series X/S have been sorely lacking in exclusives when compared to the PS5, but the allure of Game Pass is such that it doesn't matter - at least for the time being.
Sony head Jim Ryan has teased a PlayStation equivalent to Game Pass in the past. God of War creator David Jaffe has said on his YouTube channel (thanks, VGC) that he has heard from sources within Sony that an Xbox Game Pass equivalent is coming, but he doesn't know what form it will take.
"I've said time and again that people writing Jim Ryan's obituary are way premature. We had the guy on the show yesterday that had made the petition to fire Jim Ryan and I'm like dude, that's way premature because Jim Ryan doesn't owe anybody, Sony doesn't owe anybody the truth about what's coming and what their counterpunch to [Xbox] Game Pass is. What I can tell you is I know they are doing some stuff, because I know people at Sony who have told me that they are doing some stuff. There will be a response to Game Pass. What it is, we don't know. Here is what I would say I worry about, if Jim Ryan thinks that the proper response to Game Pass is to emulate backwards compatibility PS3 games, PS2, PS1, and then to also add trophies, which is what that patent suggests they're going to do, and they're also going to fold in all of the movies and s--t and make a streaming service, he's absolutely wrong if he thinks that mixing it with PS Now, I think that would make me go, 'I don't think this man has a clue,' because that's not going to compete with Game Pass. But I don't know if that's the case."
The patent that Jaffe is referring to involves software that will allow Trophies to be used for older PlayStation games that didn't include them before. This has led to speculation that Sony has plans for its old library, especially in the wake of the PS3/PSP/Vita digital stores closing soon. Nintendo has already taken the approach of using its older games for a subscription service with Nintendo Switch Online, and Sony could be thinking of using its old titles for a Game Pass equivalent. Many fans are anticipating that PS Now will simply be turned into a Xbox Game Pass copy and that it will allow subscribers to download games to their systems, rather than streaming them online.
Sony dominated the last generation with its amazing exclusives, but the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S are still in their early days, and the upcoming schedule is looking bare. Game Pass is a huge asset to the Xbox Series X/S, as it ensures an influx of games, in order to give developers a chance to produce exclusives for the systems. Sony might need a PlayStation Game Pass equivalent to combat Microsoft, but it could look much differently than what is currently expected.
Source: David Jaffe, VGC