PlayStation Plus: everything you need to know about Sony’s subscription service
Every tier explained - can PlayStation keep pace with the strides made by Xbox Game Pass?
PlayStation Plus, or PS Plus, received a comprehensive overhaul before it launched in the UK and is now heavily advertised to owners of a PlayStation 5 console.
Following the enormous success of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, Sony’s offering is competitive, but not exactly the same as its rival. But what does it actually do?
PS Plus is part of Sony’s PlayStation Network online services which originally launched in 2010. The previous subscription service brought various benefits, including free monthly games, PlayStation Store discounts, the ability to play online multiplayer games, and cloud storage. Five years later came the first version PlayStation Now, a bolt-on service that enabled cloud streaming of a selection of PS2, PS3 and PS4 games.
Back in March Sony announced a project formerly codenamed ‘Spartacus’, which was a major PS Plus revamp that would merge PS Plus and PS Now and offer PlayStation gamers three membership tiers – and we’re here to explain everything you need to know about it.
Read on for a full breakdown of each membership tier, what they’ll cost you, and what games are included.
PlayStation Plus Essential
What is it?
Though Sony might be rebranding it, PS Plus Essential is basically PS Plus as you already know it. Now the entry-level tier of the service, it gets you two different free games to download each month that will remain yours as long as you continue to subscribe to PS Plus. It also comes with exclusive discounts, cloud saves, and online multiplayer access for any game that offers it. Bear in mind that for free-to-play online games, a PS Plus subscription isn’t a requirement.
What does it cost?
You can pay for your PS Plus Essential subscription monthly, quarterly or annually. PS Plus Essential is priced at $9.99/£6.99 /monthly, $24.99/£19.99 quarterly (three months), or $59.99/£49.99 yearly. Get PS Plus Essential now.
PlayStation Plus Extra
What is it?
The first all-new tier offers, as you’d expect, everything you get from an Essential subscription as listed above, as well as up to 400 downloadable PS4 and PS5 games, split between first and third-party titles.
What does it cost?
PS Plus Extra is priced £10.99 / $14.99 monthly, £31.99 / $39.99 quarterly, or £83.99 / $99.99 yearly. Get PS Plus Extra now.
PlayStation Plus Premium
What is it?
Hey big spender. If you’re after the all-you-can-eat buffet of PlayStation Plus subs, this is the one to go for. On top of all the PS Plus Essential and Extra benefits, you’re getting up to 340 additional games, which are made up of a selection of classic games from the PS1, PS2 and PSP console generations, as well as a number of PS3 games.
PS3 games are streaming-only at launch, while PS1, PS2 and PSP games can be downloaded or streamed. The Premium tier also offers streaming access for PS4 games included in the Essential and Extra tiers in markets where PlayStation Now was previously available, with games streamable on the PS4 and PS5, as well as PC.
Lastly, the most expensive tier also offers time-limited game trails for select titles, with progress carrying over should the user choose to purchase the game through the PlayStation store at the end of the trial.
What does it cost?
PS Plus Premium is priced £13.49 / $17.99 monthly, £39.99 / $49.99 quarterly, or £99.99 / $119.99 yearly. Get PS Plus Premium now.
What about the games?
As explained above, each PS Plus tier entitles you to a different offering of free games, from the rotating two monthly titles included in an Essential membership, to hundreds of games spanning the whole history of PlayStation.
But again, who gets what is needlessly confusing, so allow us to explain.
Monthly games
Every PS Plus subscriber has access to monthly downloadable games that are yours to keep unless you cancel your subscription.
These change every month, but have included God of War (PS4), Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (PS4), Mass Effect Legendary Edition (PS4), FIFA 22 (PS4/PS5), and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (PS4/PS5).
The PlayStation Plus Collection: time is running out
Also available to members of every PS Plus tier is The PlayStation Plus collection, a fixed catalogue of 20 of the most popular PS4 titles. Anyone with PS Plus can download and play these titles until May 9 2023, and play them for as long as they remain subscribers.
The games are:
- Bloodborne
- Days Gone
- Detroit: Become Human
- God of War
- Monster Hunter: World
- Infamous Second Son
- Ratchet and Clank
- The Last Guardian
- The Last of Us Remastered
- Mortal Kombat X
- Until Dawn
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Battlefield 1
- Resident Evil 7 biohazard
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Edition
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Fallout 4
- Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
Game Catalogue
The Game Catalogue is available to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium members only. It includes up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games that can be downloaded or streamed if you’re a Premium member.
Unlike on Xbox Game Pass, first-party PS4 and PS5 titles will not be added to the catalogue at launch as standard, but relatively recent console exclusives such as Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be included from launch.
This library will change and evolve over time, with Sony’s website listing the current A-Z library in full.
Classic Games Catalogue
Games in the Classic Games Catalogue are available to PS Plus Premium members only. All included games can be downloaded except PS3 titles, which are streaming-only. Some of the games will be remasters, and some original games will feature improved frame rates and resolutions. Select PS1 and PSP games will have rewind and save anywhere functionality too, but this won’t always be the case.
Again, this library is going to change over time, but highlights include Ape Escape and Syphon Filter (both PlayStation), Hot Shots Tennis (PS4 remaster) and MotorStorm: Apocalypse (PS3 via streaming).
Time-limited game trials
Game trials are available to PS Plus Premium members only. Select games can be downloaded and played for two hours (and sometimes more) for free before you decide whether or not you want to purchase the game in full.
All trophies and save data carry over with purchases.
The launch games are:
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5)
- Horizon Forbidden West (PS4/PS5)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)
- Farming Simulator 22 (PS4/PS5)
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderland (PS4/PS5)
- WWE 2K22 (PS4/PS5)
Related: The best PS5 accessories – all the top PlayStation 5 add-ons you can buy today
Matt Tate
Contributor 
