A younger me would have been amazed at how financially accessible gaming has become. That might sound strange — new games and video game consoles are getting more expensive all the time, but with the advent of services PlayStation Plus And with Game Pass, getting access to hundreds of titles is a relatively small monthly fee. This brings many other problems, especially for small developers and publishers looking to make a profit, but for the average consumer, it is definitely a net positive.
I use Xbox Game Pass on my PC and PlayStation Plus Extra on my PS5, so I feel like I have a pretty solid grasp of the ins and outs of these services, and I'm not shy about identifying one as better than the other. In fact, despite Xbox's recent struggles, Game Pass is still better than the PS Plus catalog based on sheer, focused quality. In other words, Game Pass has a greater density of worthwhile games, while PS Plus, while still good in many ways, is bogged down by exclusive or lesser titles. Nowhere is this more evident than in the service's many sports games which, in my opinion, are basically just filler entries.
There's still one big wall that Xbox Game Pass can't overcome
Even though Xbox Game Pass offers a very good deal to gamers, there is a big wall in the way of leading the gaming market.
Traditional sports games are the least exciting on the market
I'm not sure if it's controversial, but sports games, especially those with legacy franchises like this crazy and NBA 2Kare remarkably interesting. Don't get me wrong, they can be fun—I spent countless hours playing 2K With friends growing up, and still do sometimes — but they're also quite cynical and creatively aspirational. These games are the pinnacle of an outdated, consumer-averse annual release cycle, and all the problems that come with it.
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There is an obvious issue with major game franchises crazy Basically releasing the exact same game every year, for $70 a pop and with countless microtransactions to boot. But such franchises are also marked by a surprising lack of quality and ambition in other, less immediately recognizable ways. For example, editing, acting, directing, character animation, and almost any writing NBA 2K MyCareer is often abusive. Even though the series brings in established filmmakers like Spike Lee and well-known actors like Idris Elba, they still feel under-tried and forced, like they're only there because the audience expects a solo campaign, not because anyone actually wants them to.
Maybe you don't care much about that kind of thing and want to play some games with your friends or online. I won't begrudge it, but consider this: weaknesses like a bad MyCareer are emblematic of a massive lack of effort on the part of these franchises. If you only want to play the standard multiplayer modes, where you are actually on the field, the court, etc., you may not feel the impact of this lack of effort at first. But after many years of the same mechanical framework and features, even these basic mods start to feel cheap, even though these games actually demand more and more money from their playerbases with each release.
PlayStation Plus' sports games offer little value for subscribers
Sports games have been added to PlayStation Plus in the last six months
- EA Sports FC 26
- Football Manager 26
- Crew Motorfest
- Captain Tsubasa: The Rise of New Champions
- Madden NFL 26
- Rugby 25
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
- The art of rallying
- Campaign: A Mudrunner game
- Moto GP 25
- EA Sports WRC 24
Note that I call “traditional” or “legacy” sports games, usually represented by the last two digits of a year in their title. Since December 2025, there has been a surprising number of such games released on different tiers of PS Plus, suggesting a growing trend. I can't be sure, but it certainly seems like these games were added to pad out the library and compete with similar on-demand services, rather than actually increasing the price of the service.
I say this because sports games have historically experienced much faster price declines than other video games. take it Madden NFL 26For example. If you go to GameStop's website, you will find that the digital version of this game, not even released a year ago for $70, can be purchased for only $14. It's even more remarkable when you consider it Madden NFL 26 is basically the same Madden NFL 25Which GameStop sells brand new for just $7.
With most PS Plus subscribers looking for the biggest bang for their buck, the growing number of sports game additions is a bit worrying; At the end of the day, these assembly-line releases don't offer the same value as games Horizon Forbidden West and Wuchang: Fallen Feather. With a PlayStation Plus Extra subscription costing $15 a month, and an essential subscription costing $10, it's disappointing to see so many bargain bin offers.
The PlayStation Plus is still a good deal in my opinion, but I still feel my enthusiasm deflate whenever I see a sports game added to the list. Aside from the element of financial value, annual sports games are creatively uninspired and unmotivated, and generally the opposite of the experiences I come across on platforms like PS Plus. I subscribe to PS Plus for two main reasons: to save money through affordable access to games that would otherwise be more expensive, and to enjoy unique, diverse gaming experiences. Basically, sports games in vein FIFA, EA Sports FCand crazyDo not complete any of these goals.
