Sony made changes to how PlayStation Plus subscriptions would work recently with the launch of a revamped service. There are now multiple tiers to choose from that offer increasing amounts of benefits.
The base tier, Essential, offers subscribers monthly games, online multiplayer, and exclusive discounters. Meanwhile the highest tier, Premium, offers the same benefits but also includes a classics catalog, game trials, cloud streaming, and more.
Seemingly in response to the changes they made to the service, PS Plus retail cards have been discontinued and will no longer be available in retail stores. This is likely due to how the new PlayStation Plus has multiple price tiers, while the old PlayStation Plus retail cards simply offered one, three, or twelve-month subscriptions. This would render the retail cards incompatible with the new subscription options.
It is unknown if new PS Plus retail cards will return to stores that are compatible with the new subscription tiers and payment plans. It is also unclear how unclaimed PS Plus retail cards can be claimed with the new subscription tiers.
