PlayStation Plus Changes on PS4 Move Social Features, Updating From Behind Paywall

We already knew Sony was planning some big changes for PlayStation Plus on the PS4, but we didn't know specifics about these new policies Sony planned on instituting for its next-gen console.

Features like the instant game collection and online gaming have already been confirmed, but there are still plenty of questions about the new PlayStation Plus. In an interview with Videogamer, SCEE UK & Ireland MD Fergal Gara discussed some of the ways PlayStation Plus was going to change when the PS4 arrived. "If you choose not to subscribe we are still gating relatively little in many senses, so access to online catch-up TV and online movie services sit outside of the gate, for example," Gara said. "The social features of PS4 and PS4 games sit out of the subscription service... things like auto-updates on PS4 sit outside of PlayStation Plus, so we're trying to be as balanced and as fair as we possibly can."

It's not really clear what Gara means by "social features" (possibly video uploading, sharing), as Sony is still working out some of the details about what will and will not be available free to all PlayStation 4 owners. The same could be said for the Gaikai streaming service. "Will that be part of PlayStation Plus? I genuinely don't know," Gara added. "Will that require some other, different charging mechanism? Perhaps. We just haven't sat down to answer that question yet."

Sony's definitely moving in the right direction with the PlayStation 4, but until the console and the new PS+ arrive, we still remain skeptical everything is going to work out exactly like the company says.