Sony plans to merge the PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now gaming services into one subscription

Xbox Game Pass has been a hit for Microsoft, and it looks like Sony is preparing to respond with its own version of the universal game subscription service. According to Bloomberg, the company plans to combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into a new offer, which is expected to debut this spring.

The service, codenamed Spartacus, will likely be available on PS4 and PS5 for a monthly fee. It's unclear whether players will be able to access it on other devices, though the report notes that Sony is investing more and more resources into cloud-based gaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate allows players to immerse themselves in more than 100 Xbox games via the cloud on consoles, PCs, phones and tablets. Microsoft also plans to release gaming streaming sticks for TVs.

It looks like Sony will remove PlayStation Now, but keep the PlayStation Plus branding. Sony may not yet have decided how Spartacus will work, but the service could have three levels. According to documents obtained by Bloomberg, the lowest level will actually represent PlayStation Plus in its current form. The second level will add a "large catalog" of PS4 games, and PS5 games will be added later.

The third and highest level will include cloud games, extended demos, and an array of older games for PS1, PS2, PS3, and even PSP. However, these plans may not yet be confirmed.

Source: bloomberg