EA Access finally reaches the PlayStation 4

Electronic Arts has announced it is bringing its EA Access subscription service to the Sony PlayStation 4 - five years after it hit rival Microsoft's Xbox One.

Not to be confused with EA's Origin Access, which is an all-you-can-play, Netflix-style subscription service for Windows gamers, EA Access provides players with discounts on first-party purchases, 10-hour pre-launch trials to new games, and access to a selection of EA titles through an archive dubbed The Vault. The service launched for Microsoft's Xbox One console family five years ago, and there it stayed - until this week, when EA finally confirmed it was bringing it to the rival PS4.

'As we continue to invest in digital and subscription services, bringing great games to even more players across more platforms is an exciting opportunity for everyone,' claims Matt Bilbey, executive vice president of 'Strategic Growth' at EA. 'Our goal is to give players more choice to try and play our games wherever and however they choose, and we’re happy to bring EA Access to PlayStation 4.'

The service, EA has confirmed, will work exactly the same on the PS4 as it does on the Xbox One: Pre-release access will be provided to new titles on a ten-hour trial basis, with progress being carried across if the full version is purchased; a 10 percent discount on all digital purchases from EA; and access to The Vault, though a final count of the games that will be on offer has not yet been provided.

EA Access for PS4 is due to go live this July, the company has promised, with more details available on the official website.