Sony fights back against Microsoft's Game Pass

STORY: Sony is fighting back against Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service.

The Japanese firm says it plans a major revamp of its own PlayStation Plus.

It will offer hundreds of games, including the latest Spider-Man title.

The service will launch in June in the U.S., Europe and Japan, priced at a flat monthly fee.

Sony is widely seen as winning the consoles war, having sold 17 million of the latest PlayStations.

But it’s been under pressure to combat Microsoft’s fast-growing Game Pass, which has 25 million subscribers.

It accounts for 60% of game subscriptions in North America and Europe, compared to just 7% for Sony.

In January, the U.S. giant struck a $68.7 billion deal to buy game developer Activision Blizzard, to bulk up its content offering.

Now Sony is fighting back, and analysts say it looks well-priced to compete.

A premium PlayStation Plus subscription will cost $120 per year, compared to $180 for the equivalent with Microsoft.

Online gaming is seen as the future of the industry, as it doesn’t require users to install games on a console or PC.

Sony and Microsoft want to make sure they are major players in the new field, in case it ultimately spells the end for their expensive hardware.