In this interconnected age, it can be difficult to know which online subscription service offers the best value for money. While services like Hulu and Netflix are probably similar, game consoles are a bit more varied in their options. Each of the three main consoles has an online subscription service, and each offers slightly different things. This is our guide to Xbox Live Gold, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions.
PS Plus v Xbox Live Gold vs Nintendo Switch Online: price
PS Plus v Xbox Live Gold v Nintendo Switch online (Image credit: Nintendo) From Xbox Live Gold, Microsoft's deal is priced at $9.99 / AU$6.99 / AU$10.95 per month, while offering a 50 % savings on an annual subscription. Silver membership is free, but only offers real access to your friends list and the Xbox Store. If you want to sign up for the company's gaming subscription, Xbox Game Pass, you'll get a handy $14.99/$10.99/$15.95 subscription that bundles Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass into one handy monthly fee called Game Pass Ultimate. PlayStation Plus offers a similar pricing model to Xbox Live Gold. It costs €9.99 / AU$6.99 / AU$10.95 per month, while you can buy it quarterly or annually at an additional discount. Features are comparable too, but we'll get back to that in a bit. Finally, the newcomer is Nintendo Switch Online. This is by far the cheapest of the three, costing AU$3.99 / £3.49 / AU$5.95 per month or AU$19.99 / AU$17.99 / year AU$29.95. There's also a family plan option, which is great if you have a group of up to eight friends who want to use your console online. The retail price is €34.99 / €31.49 / €54.95 for the year. Amazon Prime members can even purchase an annual membership for nothing at the time of writing.
PS Plus v Xbox Live Gold v Nintendo Switch Online: Features
(Image credit: Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) The oldest of services, the Xbox Live Gold subscription gives you a lot for your monthly fees. Probably the most reliable connection of the three, Xbox Live connects gamers with gamers around the world. If you want to order a pirate ship with your friends in Sea of Thieves, you will need to get a membership. Fortunately, there are many other reasons to subscribe. First, players can grab four free games each month as part of Games With Gold. This month features Inside, the Game of the Year competitor. So it's worth checking back each month to see what's on offer. Of the four games, two are Xbox One titles, the other two are retro-compatible Xbox 360 classics (and sometimes the original Xbox). You'll also get huge discounts in the store, which often apply to downloadable content, movies and TV shows, as well as games. PlayStation Plus was originally a premium subscription to the PlayStation 3 era, but now it's essential for online gaming on PlayStation 4. Fortunately, these monthly fees seem to have been reinvested, the PlayStation Network is progressing by leaps and bounds since the last generation. As with Xbox Live Gold, PlayStation Plus offers free games every month (although the number of PlayStation 3 and Vita titles were dropped earlier this year, only two people remained). Don't be scared, you can't afford it. Big AAA titles like Bloodborne have already been released as special gifts, so it's unlikely you'll run out of stuff. Similar discounts are offered on the PlayStation Store and you can see the new features from a PlayStation Plus icon right on your home screen.
(Image credit: TechRadar) True to Nintendo fashion, the Switch online service is everywhere. Your subscription allows you to play online titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, but the portable nature of the console can make the connection a bit spotty. The additional features are also curious. You can use Nintendo's smartphone app for voice chat in some titles, but during testing we found it less useful than simply using Discord to party. There are subscriber-only deals, but they run the gamut from funky gadgets (like Tetris 99) to exclusive peripherals like NES controllers for the Switch. The big draw here, however, is the Nintendo Switch Online app. Long-time Nintendo fans will love playing NES games on Switch, and they've been upgraded to new online ranking features. This means you can play the original Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros 3 on your TV or pocket console screen. New titles are added and SNES games are expected to appear.
PS Plus v Xbox Live Gold v Nintendo Switch Online: Cloud Backups
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(Image credit: Microsoft) PlayStation Plus offers 100GB of cloud storage for your backups as part of your subscription, but it should be noted that Xbox Live offers cloud-based backups that are not tied to no paid subscription and are available by default to Silver members. Nintendo Switch backup data can be backed up to the cloud if you have a subscription - a huge benefit for anyone who has already abandoned their switch or lost it on public transport - but it only works in the cloud. Supported Titles: If your console is taking a bath, your Pokémon will have to start: start the adventure again.