With PlayStation, Sony has made some major changes to their subscription service plus, stripping away physical hardware perks for digital perks instead. This has immediately drawn an outcry from the console world. These changes are significant because it has removed the physical media perks that many users use, and now people have to decide whether they want digital only perks, or the classic discs. The new changes are forcing the hands of those who enjoy physical ownership, to a model that only seems to care about software partnerships, not hardware.
Sony replaces physical media benefits with digital discounts and trials, sparking user backlash
The new version of PlayStation plus offers a list of new digital perks. The list includes, merchandise discounts, Bluetooth speakers, and discounts for PlayStation Direct store. In addition, YouTube premium 3 month trial and other 3rd party services' perks are available. It's a big change in the physical goods front that many people might be used to with the subscription.
The response from the community has been quite negative, with many people saying the new digital perks for the most part are not enough to compensate for having physical game discs. As pointed out in a popular comment, the only real reason to keep the subscription is to use physical media. Discs are the one important perk. So overall, people seem to be pretty upset with how Sony seems to be dumping physical media in favor of going 100% digital.
Sony has also drawn complaints about the pricing. Some users complain about them having dynamic pricing. Some even claiming that this could lead to legal problems regarding digital goods ownership.
It's a bit of a problem if people are already complaining about how Sony's new service is structured. Not just in content, but also their finances. The digital vs physical struggle is still a major topic when it comes to PlayStation's subscription services.
Source: Sony, IXBT
The shift to digital perks is a clear move away from physical ownership. Discs are the only tangible value left in the bundle now.
This is not a shift. It is a retreat from the hardware-focused model that defined the early subscription years. Users are right to be upset.
Does the new tier actually include any game discounts that apply to pre-owned discs or is it strictly new digital copies only?
The perks listed are only for merchandise and direct store purchases. There are no game discount tiers mentioned that would help with used discs.