Sony’s statement states that Microsoft does not allow the PlayStation Plus service on the Xbox.
Sony does not want the Xbox Game Pass subscription service to be available on its own PlayStation consoles. Conversely, it seems the same. Microsoft also apparently does not want the PlayStation Plus offer to be able to be used on the Xbox consoles.
This comes from Sony’s statement on the concerns of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the documents of which were published last week.
Sony argues that Microsoft would have exclusive and irreplaceable content in Game Pass if the merger with Activision Blizzard were successful. Competitors would have a hard time competing, especially since Microsoft doesn’t allow PlayStation Plus to be available on Xbox.
“Third, Microsoft argues that demand for multi-game subscription services would not tip in favor of Game Pass because Microsoft would also make Game Pass available on PlayStation (Microsoft, paragraph 1.3(g)). However, the wider availability of the leading provider (Game Pass), now endowed with exclusive, irreplaceable content and protected by direct and indirect network effects, would make it harder – not easier – for competing multi-game subscription services to compete. Microsoft’s claim that having Game Pass available on PlayStation would be a panacea for the damage of this transaction sounds particularly hollow considering Microsoft is not allowing PlayStation Plus to be available on Xbox.”
Microsoft also wants to bring the Xbox Game Pass to the PlayStation, which is why the subscription service would not have any advantages either, since it would also be available from the competition. That is the reasoning of the Windows group.
According to Microsoft, however, Sony is also blocking Game Pass on PlayStation: “There is also no basis for the idea that the acquisition of Call of Duty could ‘tip’ the subscription services in favor of Xbox. Sony has decided to ban Game Pass from PlayStation, making it unavailable on PlayStation.”