Sony doubles PS Plus free game entitlement

As the PlayStation Plus subscription service approaches its fourth anniversary, Sony has decided to celebrate by doubling the number of free PlayStation 4 games available to its members.

Starting in June, PS Plus subscribers will be entitled to two free PS4 games a month from the Instant Game Collection, without question the most alluring feature on the service. It will also make two free games available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita owners.

Initially conceived as a sweetener for consumers as Sony searched for a revenue stream similar to that Microsoft earned from Xbox Live subscriptions, the offer of free games through PS Plus has become an essential part of the appeal of Sony's platforms.

At a corporate strategy meeting earlier this month, CEO Kaz Hirai claimed that half of all PlayStation 4 owners have subscribed to the service.

And Microsoft is not blind to the success - and status - Sony has enjoyed as a result. It launched a competing service, Games With Gold, on Xbox Live in July 2013, but the early months were defined as much by criticism as by praise, largely down to the age of the content on offer.

In March this year, Microsoft's Phil Spencer promised significant improvements to the service in the near future.

Source: PlayStation Blog.