When you compare a PS5 and an Xbox Series X, in terms of raw technical capability, there aren’t that many differences. The real differences are in what they offer you: PlayStation has better exclusives (at least for now), but Xbox has a wonderfully rich Game Pass that extends to PC, and exclusives often reach its subscription services on day one.
That last part is the main draw. A Series X is, in essence, a Game Pass machine for those without PCs, and you rarely see PlayStation’s PS plus service getting games as they’re released. If you have an Xbox and a Game Pass subscription, you can play games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed as soon as they’re released – well, more or less, if you ignore the nonsense “early access” unlocks that allow people to start playing a few days early if they pay for a game that will soon be free.
Not so with PlayStation – its releases are almost never included in PS Plus, especially not its biggest triple-A games. Want to play Ghost of Yotei on day one for no extra cost? Too bad, this is Sony. In fact, the list of PS Plus’ day one releases is woefully small in comparison to Xbox’s, even if you leave the big releases out of it.
Finally, We’re Seeing Some Worthwhile Day One PS Plus Releases
In a surprising move on PlayStation’s part, the most recent State of Play announced four titles being added to PlayStation Plus on day one. Two of those are Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, which will be released in two parts, the first in February and the second in April.
This is probably the biggest announcement – developer Don’t Nod is best known for creating Life is Strange, a series which has since taken on a life of its own after being passed off to Deck Nine by publisher Square Enix. A lot of people are looking forward to this one, including me, so it’s interesting that PlayStation is adding this to its subscription service when it usually does this with smaller releases.
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Another game getting added is indie game Blue Prince, which has garnered quite a lot of buzz in its own right – I played and wrote about it myself. It’s a roguelike architectural puzzler where you try to navigate a house with ever-moving rooms, and yes, it’s as unique as it sounds. I’m thrilled that it’ll be coming to PS Plus on day one, because I’ve been really looking forward to playing it.
The last game is Abiotic Factor, an FPS survival sim which has been in early access on PC for quite some time and is quite popular on that platform. It’ll be coming to PlayStation Plus on its full release.
PS Plus Still Can’t Compete With Game Pass
It’s worth noting that the latter two of these games – Blue Prince and Abiotic Factor – are also going to be day one Game Pass releases, which keeps Game Pass firmly in the lead with day one additions. In fact, there’s only one other game slated for a day one release on PS Plus, that being FBC: Firebreak, which will also be on Game Pass.
This year’s day one Game Pass releases are, in comparison, very stacked. We’ll be seeing Avowed, Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and The Alters, among others. The list has triple-A, double-A, and indie titles, and a decent breadth of genres. Without a doubt, in terms of raw numbers, Game Pass still offers consumers far more than PS Plus does. Fable and Gears of War: E-Day, while unlikely to both arrive this year, will also be Game Pass games day one.
Xbox’s list also includes Wheel World, Nirvana Noir, Replaced, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, none of which will be confirmed to be released this year, and one of which sends fans careening into misery whenever it’s mentioned.
Regardless, I’m still impressed that Lost Records is making its way to PS Plus and not Game Pass – less because of the value it offers consumers and more because I’m hoping it’s the beginning of PlayStation starting to attempt to keep pace with Xbox. Last year, PS Plus saw seven games come to the platform on day one, including Animal Well, The Plucky Squire, and Tales of Kenzera: Zau. If not triple-As, I’d love to see more double-As like Lost Records hitting the service on release.
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