Regardless of where you stand on the so-called "console wars," it's hard to deny that Xbox Game Pass has revolutionized what we expect from gaming.
Sony has been more successful than Microsoft in terms of gaming hardware, with the PS5 outselling the Xbox Series X and Series S. However, PlayStation has so far offered little to no resistance when it comes to software.
While there have been rumors that the company is preparing to announce its own Xbox Game Pass rival, nothing has been officially confirmed yet. And the gap between the two brands is only widening now that Microsoft has agreed to buy Activision Blizzard for €68.7 billion.
There's no point in sugarcoating it: It's no longer enough for Sony to announce a simple service that allows users to download from an extensive catalog of PlayStation games and be done with it. As Xbox's collection of gaming brands continues to grow, I firmly believe that the only way for Sony to come close to the competition with Xbox Game Pass is to include PC support on its platform.
What is the Spartacus Project?
In December 2021, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that Sony was developing a new service that could support Xbox Game Pass. Dubbed "Project Spartacus," the upcoming platform will launch in spring 2022 and give PlayStation users access to "a catalog of modern and classic games" for a monthly fee. Even Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently said that it was "inevitable" that PlayStation would release its own equivalent of Game Pass in the near future.
According to Schreier, Sony's gaming service could be split into three tiers, with the base tier expected to offer users essentially the same benefits as PlayStation Plus, namely access to multiplayer online games as well as several free downloadable games. for my.
The second tier is suggested to be the closest thing to Xbox Game Pass, as it gives PS4 and PS5 owners the ability to download as much as they want from a vast library of PlayStation games. Meanwhile, the third and most expensive tier would provide access to all of the above, plus a selection of classic PS1, PS2 and PSP games.
What will Project Spartacus have to compete with?
Although Xbox Game Pass first launched in 2017, the platform grew significantly during the pandemic as Microsoft began to put more emphasis on the gaming side of its business. According to Microsoft, the number of Game Pass subscribers recently exceeded 25 million subscribers, although it is worth noting that this growth has not yet reached the company's expectations.
It's easy to see how Microsoft's subscription service has managed to build a strong reputation within the gaming community in just a few short years. For $9.99 / $7.99 to $14.99 / $10.99 per month, users get unlimited access to an impressive roster of game titles, including some of the best Xbox Series X games available.
The list of games available on Xbox Game Pass is updated fairly frequently, with one recent estimate suggesting that Microsoft added more than $6,300 worth of games to Game Pass in 2021. Given how many gaming brands are now under the umbrella of Microsoft, Sony could have a tough time competing with the selection available on Xbox Game Pass given that future Bethesda projects like Starfield will be exclusive to Xbox and PC after Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media last year for €7.5 billion.
It also remains to be seen if upcoming Activision Blizzard titles like Overwatch 2 could become Xbox exclusives once the deal closes in 2023. As things stand, though, Xbox has underlined its commitment to continue supporting the community. of PlayStation in the future.
So how likely is PC support for Project Spartacus?
One of the biggest selling points of Xbox Game Pass is that it gives its users access to highly anticipated releases like Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite from day one.
Based on early rumors about Sony's rival Game Pass, it seemed unlikely that the Japanese company would give its subscribers day one access to the biggest PlayStation releases. However, since then Microsoft has announced its intention to buy Activision Blizzard, which probably ruined Sony's plans.
Along with day one access to new releases, Project Spartacus will likely need to include PC support in its offering to make up for a less impressive library of games compared to Xbox Game Pass.
It's hard to gauge the likelihood of Sony making its games available on PC. Still, that wouldn't be completely unexpected given that big PlayStation titles like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Days Gone have already arrived on PC and many more are expected to follow, including Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. and Death Stranding: Director's Cut. But even with that in mind, PlayStation's monumental task of catching up with Xbox Game Pass will be no small feat.
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