Sony has announced PlayStation Plus membership prices will rise to $59.99 for 12 months and $24.99 for three months. The price of the monthly plan will remain at $9.99. The new pricing will go into effect on September 22.
The announcement was made on the PlayStation Blog, where an old post about August's free PlayStation Plus titles was updated with a statement.
"This marks the first time that PS Plus membership prices will increase in the U.S. and Canada since the launch of the service in 2010. The new pricing reflects the current market conditions while enabling us to continue providing exceptional value to our members," it reads.
"As a member, you will continue to enjoy the benefits and features that enable shared experiences, such as online multiplayer, free games, and exclusive discounts. You will also continue to get exclusive benefits such as online game save storage and discounts across the PlayStation digital services."
The prices of PlayStation Plus subscriptions are also increasing in Canada. The yearly price will be $69.99 CAD, three-month subscriptions will cost $29.99 CAD, and the monthly price will be $11.99 CAD.
As of yet, the European PlayStation Blog has not indicated prices will rise in Europe. This may be because there was a PlayStation Plus price hike in the UK in 2015. Before this, in 2014, Sony raised the price of PlayStation Plus in South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and India.
PlayStation Plus subscriptions grant owners the ability to play online, discounts on store content, and free games delivered monthly. August's titles included Tetris-esque title Tricky Towers and the most recent Yakuza game.
A PlayStation Plus subscription is required in order to continue playing the free games Sony provides. Once a subscription lapses, access the the library of free games is rescinded.