This week saw PS Plus adding FF7R Intergrade for July excited many fans, but the handling of the addition left many understandably irked at the peculiarities of Sony’s gaming ecosystem.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was offered as one of the monthly PS Plus games in March 2021, prior to the Spartacus initiative’s restructuring of the service. Those who claimed that game through PS Plus, or who bought the base FF7R game separately, were restricted from ing the Intergrade edition. Affected players were given the option to purchase the Yuffie Kisaragi INTERmission DLC as an add-on to FF7 Remake for $20 USD, whereas other PS Plus subscribers could access it for free.
This created a truly bizarre scenario where new PS Plus subscribers who have never played FF7R could access both the main game and the INTERmission content through the service at no additional charge, while loyal subscribers had to pay a fee for the same DLC. This is not the first time PlayStation Plus has made FF7 Remake needlessly confusing. When the PS5 upgrade was offered to PS Plus subscribers who previously claimed the PS4 version of FF7R, they could not simply select the PS5 version of the game under the menu as with most titles. A separate “purchase” of the free upgrade through the PlayStation store was required to unlock the PS5 version of the game.
FF7 Remake Shows Sony's Gen Problem For PS Plus
In that case, players had an extra step to go through to obtain the free FF7 Remake upgrade. With the current PS Plus debacle, there was content that some subscribers could not access at all. The Intergrade access problem was documented by numerous players, but as of today, others report that the restriction appears to have been addressed for PS Plus subscribers who were able to Intergrade through the PlayStation Store, where it was noted as being free with PS Plus Extra.
Confusing snags regarding game accessibility seem to perpetually surround FF7R. However, the controversy surrounding upgrade paths is a systemic result of Sony’s choices regarding PlayStation games. By insisting on treating a prior-gen version of a game as a separate title from its current-gen version, Sony’s focus on generations is making PS5 worse. Consumers have recoiled from proposals that those who purchase the PS4 version of a game like Horizon Forbidden West would be required to pay an upgrade fee to access the PS5 version. Although Sony opted to waive upgrade fees in that case, the company has stated its intention to apply such charges in the future to first-party games, effectively charging a fee for consumers who own multiple generations of PlayStation consoles to access the same game on their devices.
In the case of the PS Plus Intergrade debacle, one could at least argue the company had good intentions. By restricting those who already bought FF7R from purchasing the more expensive Intergrade package, and instead directing them to purchase the lower-priced DLC separately, Sony could save some players from accidentally overspending. The restriction evidently neglected to factor in the company’s own subscription service. This issue, and similar PS5 frustrations, make Xbox Smart Delivery look better in comparison. If a game is multigenerational, with both Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions, consumers simply purchase the game once, and Smart Delivery s the optimal version of that game for whatever hardware they happen to be using. Game subscribers do not struggle with game accessibility issues of this nature, regardless of the hardware they use to access the service.
Prior to today’s fix, the prominent placement of Intergrade on the PS Plus game catalog served for many as an irksome reminder of Sony’s inability to properly manage its storefront. It is true that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is only one game among the hundreds included with the new PS Plus service at its higher tiers, but it is a high-profile one. If the revamped PlayStation Plus is intended to compete against the industry-leading Game , Sony needs to prevent this sort of problem from happening again, or they risk giving subscribers more reasons to doubt the service.
