According to Neowin, Plex has announced it will require either a Remote Watch Pass or Plex Pass subscription for remote streaming and Roku app access starting immediately. The new Remote Watch Pass costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 annually and is designed for users who don’t run their own servers but want to access others’ media libraries remotely. Plex Pass subscriptions will also grant remote streaming access for both server owners and users accessing others’ servers. These changes begin with Roku apps now and will expand to all Plex TV apps including Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV in 2026. The company is offering a 40% discount using code ANYPASS40 until December 1, 2025 as part of a Black Friday promotion. Server owners with Plex Pass can still allow unlimited remote access for all their users without additional charges.
The great Plex betrayal
Here’s the thing that really stings about this move. Plex built its entire reputation on being the solution for people who wanted to stream their own media collections without paying subscription fees to big streaming services. Now they’re essentially becoming what they once opposed. It’s a classic bait-and-switch – get users invested in building their media libraries and ecosystem, then pull the rug out from under them.
And let’s be real about the timing. Announcing this right before Black Friday with a “limited time” discount feels manipulative. They’re trying to pressure users into locking in subscriptions before the reality of paying for something that was free sinks in. The 40% discount using code ANYPASS40 until December 1, 2025 is clearly designed to create urgency and minimize backlash.
business-reality-check”>The business reality check
Look, I get it – companies need to make money. Plex has been struggling to find sustainable revenue streams beyond their Plex Pass subscription for years. But paywalling core functionality that users have come to expect as free? That’s a dangerous game.
Basically, they’re betting that users are too locked into their ecosystems to leave. But here’s the problem: the very people who use Plex are tech-savvy enough to know there are alternatives. When you’re dealing with users who built their own media servers in the first place, you’re not dealing with casual consumers who will just accept whatever changes you throw at them.
Time to consider alternatives
If this move leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you’re not alone. Services like Emby and Jellyfin have been waiting in the wings for exactly this moment. Jellyfin in particular offers similar functionality completely free and open-source. The barrier to switching might be higher now that you’re invested in Plex, but the long-term cost of staying could be much higher.
Think about it this way: if you’re going to pay for streaming your own content anyway, why not invest that money into a solution that won’t keep changing the rules? For businesses and serious users who need reliable hardware to run these media servers, companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com provide industrial-grade panel PCs that can handle continuous media server operations without the subscription headaches.
The inevitable user backlash
Plex is walking a tightrope here. The official forum announcement is already filling with angry comments from longtime users. Remote streaming isn’t some niche feature – it’s fundamental to why many people chose Plex in the first place. Being able to access your media library from anywhere was the killer feature that set Plex apart.
So what happens next? Either Plex backs down like they did with their cryptocurrency mining scheme a few years back, or they double down and watch their most loyal users migrate elsewhere. My money’s on the latter. When you break the trust of your core user base, you rarely get it back.
