Sony had announced earlier this month that the company’s proprietary gaming subscription service, known as PlayStation Plus, will be getting an overhaul. It normally gives fans access to the online modes of several games played on Sony’s consoles, alongside hosting a variety of exclusive deals and content. This includes cosmetic DLC exclusive to subscribers of PS Plus for titles such as Rocket League to free games that players can claim, such as Persona 5.
The biggest changes to the PS Plus service will be the new tiers that it will be introducing. The more expensive tiers will feature extra games, including those from the PlayStation Now service and a variety of classic games from previous generations like the PS1 and PS2. This service will now be dubbed PS Plus Premium and will be in effect on June 13 of this year. Some fans have noticed that there are some changes taking place that will be a part of this new service, even on the PS3.
A Reddit user known as u/digidude23 posted a photo that showed the PS3’s XMB, or XrossMediaBar, had a change that reflected this new service. This user interface allows for easy access to its features in horizontal bars. Games that are streamed onto the PS3 via PS Now usually have an icon that indicates this. Now, the icon has been changed, so it says it is PS Plus game streaming instead.
Fans commented on this change, surprised that the PS3 console had such a change be pushed out, especially on the firmware side since the console has mostly stopped support, especially when Sony tried shutting down the PS3’s digital store last year. Other users on Reddit asked if this update had changed anything else, with the original poster confirming that a firmware update for the PS3 has been pushed out.
This firmware update, version 4.89 more specifically, has a few changes, such as the PS Plus being reflected on the PS3’s online storage icon. Not only that, the 2FA, or two-factor authentication, is now turned on by default and can’t be turned off. The original poster notes that this change on the legacy system was implemented in order to keep it secure and keep the PS Store running as well. The PSN account management options are now removed as well. Some are even wondering if PS Now and PS Plus cloud saves could be merged as well since both services will be under one umbrella very soon.
