Sony Blocks Subscription Stacking on PS Plus Ahead of June Revamp

PlayStation Plus prepaid code redemption and new purchases have been disabled for existing subscribers, preventing users from “stacking” their subscriptions to the paid service for PlayStation owners. The move to block gamers with an active PS Plus subscription from adding on additional months comes ahead of Sony's scheduled revamp of its PS Plus service in June. The Japanese company recently announced three subscription tiers — PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Deluxe — and revealed that gamers would be upgraded to an equivalent tier for the duration of their longest active membership.

Users on Twitter and gaming forum Resetera first reported the inability to stock up on their PlayStation Plus subscriptions, as spotted by Pushsquare. Users attempting to redeem repaid promo codes are shown an error code that states: “The pre-paid card could not be redeemed. Please try again later.”

According to the report, even purchasing a PS Plus subscription via the PS Store, on the browser and on the console, while already on an active membership shows users an error message that reads: “Can't purchase. Can't add to cart. You've already purchased this item.” Previously, gamers were able to purchase a subscription even if they already had an existing one, which would effectively be “stacked” over the existing subscription.

Gadgets 360 has independently verified that PS Plus subscriptions cannot be stacked. We received the same error as above.

Shop To, a retailer that has temporarily stopped selling PS Plus prepaid codes, responded to a customer stating codes will not be redeemable until mid-June while on an active subscription. Sony had disabled stacking subscriptions to stop players exploiting the carrying over of subscriptions, according to Pushsquare. Sony is yet to officially admit whether the stacking of subscriptions has been blocked until the new subscription service is introduced in June.

Announced in March, Sony's revamped PS Plus subscription service will be launched first in Asian markets, followed by the Americas and Europe (including India). The PS Plus subscription will be available in three tiers — PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Deluxe. The highest tier offers cloud streaming access in select markets, where it's known as PS Plus Premium.

Earlier this week, Sony also revealed pricing for the new PS Plus service in India. The lowest tier, PlayStation Plus Essential, will be priced the same as PS Plus today, starting at Rs. 449 a month. The middle tier, PlayStation Plus Extra is priced at Rs. 749 a month. Finally, the highest tier, PlayStation Plus Deluxe will cost gamers Rs. 849 a month. Quarterly and annual plans are also available.

The new PlayStation Plus is set to launch on June 22 in India.