PS5 up for pre-order on December 6 as Sony readies ‘Spartacus’ Xbox Game Pass rival

Sony’s PlayStation 5 will be available to pre-order in India on December 6. Sony’s official web store in India, ShopAtSC, announced the date. The pre-orders will be open from 12 noon on Sony’s website.

Other retailers, including Amazon, Flipkart, Game Loot, Games The Shop, Vijay Sales, Prepaid Gamer Card, and Croma, have also listed the console for pre-order, but have not mentioned the date. However, the PS5 will probably go up for pre-order at the same time as ShopAtSC.

The PS5 Standard Edition has been listed at ₹49,990, while the PS5 Digital Edition, which comes without a disk drive, has been listed at ₹39,990. The PS5 has faced constant lack of supply issues since its launch last year, as it has reeled from the global chip shortage. However, Sony said on July 18 that it had sold over 10 million PS5 consoles since launch, making the PS5 its fastest selling console ever.

Also Read: PlayStation 5 gets major update with SSD expansion, 3D audio: check new PS5 features

‘Spartacus’ subscription service to take on Xbox Game Pass

A report by Bloomberg indicates that Sony is readying a game subscription service to combat Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. This service, known by the codename ‘Spartacus’, would combine the current PlayStation Plus subscription and PlayStation Now streaming service.

The service would reportedly encompass three tiers. The first tier would include current PlayStation Plus benefits, which includes the ability to play online multiplayer, cloud storage for game saves, and a selection of free PS4 and PS5 games each month. The second tier would include a library of PS4 and PS5 games, which users are free to download and play, much like Xbox Game Pass. The third tier would let subscribers stream games, like PlayStation Now does currently, and access a library of classic PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games.

Sony has not officially announced any plans for a subscription service yet.