PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) is Sony’s gaming subscription service that enables mostonline play for PlayStation 4 and PS5 consoles. The service is split into three tiers, with the two higher tiers offering a large library of games to download or stream and play at no extra cost – no extra apart from the cost of your PS Plus membership, that is.
In other words, the higher tiers offer something similar to Xbox Game Pass, and the highest tier (Premium) even gives access to some classic PS2, PS3, and PSP games. All three tiers offer great discounts on games bought through the PlayStation Store, too. Here’s everything you need to know about PlayStation Plus, including how much each tier costs and all the benefits.
PlayStation Plus
Pick up a gift card to get a year of PlayStation Plus Essential.
What is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus is a monthly subscription service that enables online, multiplayer play for PS4 and PS5 games. It’s required to play the vast majority of games online – only some free-to-play titles are exempt.
Among other benefits, PS Plus gives you:
- Cloud storage for game saves
- Discounts
- Access to early trials of games
The service initially launched for PlayStation 3, but was also available for PS Vita users. Both consoles have long since been discontinued and PS Plus is no longer active for either console.
How to sign up for PlayStation Plus
You can sign up for PS Plus either through your console or the PlayStation Store online. Physical vouchers have been discontinued but will still generally be redeemable against an Essential plan.
How many PlayStation Plus tiers are there?
There are three separate PS Plus tiers:
Each tier includes increasingly impressive add-ons. PS Plus Essential offers the same benefits as the previous standard PS Plus service, while Extra and Premium each add hundreds of free games delivered either over the cloud (replacing PS Now) or via download. You can read more about them below.
|
PS Plus Essential |
PS Plus Extra |
PS Plus Premium |
|
|
Price (12 months) |
$79.99 / £59.99 / €71.99 |
$134.99 / £99.99 / €125.99 |
$159.99 / £119.99 / €151.99 |
|
Online play |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Cloud storage |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Discounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PS4/PS5 games |
2-3 per month |
Up to 400 |
Up to 400 |
|
PS2/PS3/PSP games |
– |
– |
Yes |
|
Cloud gaming |
– |
– |
Yes |
|
Game trials |
– |
– |
Yes |
What does PlayStation Plus Essential include?
There are a number of benefits included with a PS Plus Essential membership. These benefits also extend to the more expensive Extra and Premium tiers.
Online play
A PlayStation Plus tier is a requirement for PS4 and PS5 gamers to play each other online. Only some free-to-play games are exempt – the vast majority will only give you access to online multiplayer if you have an active PS Plus subscription.
Free games
Each month, two or three PS4/PS5 games are made available to download and play at no extra cost. They are yours to keep as long as you remain a PS Plus member.
Exclusive discounts
PS Plus members get exclusive discounts on many digital download games on the PlayStation Store. Traditionally, there are also added discounts for members on sale games during major sales periods.
Cloud storage
All PS Plus members, no matter the tier, get 100GB of cloud storage for game saves, so even if you lose your save data stored on a PS4 or PS5, you will be able to recover it later.
Also, if you own a second console and want to carry on playing the same game, you can transfer save games from machine to machine.
PS Plus Extra includes all the benefits of PS Plus Essential, but also gives you access to up to 400 downloadable PS4/PS5 games from Sony and third parties. You can see the current list of titles available below.
What does PlayStation Plus Premium include?
PS Plus Extra includes all the benefits of PS Plus Essential and PS Plus Extra (including the downloadable PS4/PS5 titles), but it also includes the following.
Classic games
Premium tier members gain access to an additional library of classic PS3, PS2, PlayStation and PSP games that are available to download or stream. You can also see the current list of titles available below.
Cloud gaming
Games offered in the Extra benefit are also available via cloud streaming to Premium members. That means you won’t have to download them to play. It uses Sony’s PS Now technology, with that service now merged into PS Plus. This now includes some PS5 games, too, after PlayStation upgraded its technology in mid-2023.
There are multiple resolutions to choose from as you stream, each with recommended internet speeds to support them:
- 2160p (4K) – 52 mbps recommended
- 1440p – 38 mbps recommended
- 1080p (Full HD) – 23 mbps recommended
- 720p (HD) – 13 mbps recommended
Time-limited game trials
Premium subscribers gain access to time-limited trials of games, so you can try them before you buy.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games list
To view the current list of games availalbe to play on PlayStation Plus, visit the PlayStation Plus games catalogue. (That link was for US gamers. For UK gamers, visit this catalogue instead. For gamers not in the US or UK, find the catalogue for your own region because the list of games may vary slightly.)
What is PlayStation Plus Deluxe?
An additional tier is an alternative to Premium, available only in markets that do not offer cloud gaming. PS Plus Deluxe is cheaper than Premium – you should check your regional PlayStation Store for pricing, where applicable.
How much does PlayStation Plus cost?
PlayStation Plus starts at £7 / $10 / €9 per month for the Essential tier, but as you get more benefits with each higher tier, so too does the price increase. Here are the prices for the three different options. PlayStation Plus can be paid for monthly, quarterly or annually.
PS Plus Essential
- 1-month subscription: £6.99 / $9.99 / €8.99
- 3-month subscription: £19.99 / $24.99 / €24.99
- 12-month subscription: £49.99 / $59.99 / €59.99
- 1-month subscription: £10.99 / $14.99 / €13.99
- 3-month subscription: £31.99 / $39.99 / €39.99
- 12-month subscription: £83.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
PS Plus Premium
- 1-month subscription: £13.49 / $17.99 / €16.99
- 3-month subscription: £39.99 / $49.99 / €49.99
- 12-month subscription: £99.99 / $119.99 / €119.99
Did PlayStation Plus increase its prices?
Yes. In late 2023, PlayStation Plus got more expensive – you can find more about the existing benefits down below, but on 6 September 2023 its prices changed, as follows:
- PlayStation Plus Essential 12-Month Subscription: From $59.99 / £49.99 / €59.99 to $79.99 / £59.99 / €71.99
- PlayStation Plus Extra 12-Month Subscription: From $99.99 / £83.99 / €99.99 to $134.99 / £99.99 / €125.99
- PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Subscription: From $119.99 / £99.99 / €119.99 to $159.99 / £119.99 / €151.99
That’s a substantial price hike across most regions (particularly in the US) – and since it’s now been fully rolled out, there’s no getting around it.
Where is PlayStation Plus available?
Available in Japan and many other Asian countries, plus the Americas, the UK and Europe, PlayStation Plus split into three different tiers in 2022: PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium.
PlayStation Plus
Older gift cards still work for PlayStation Plus – they convert to the Essential tier.
Gone but not forgotten: PlayStation Plus Collection
Unique to the PlayStation 5, the PS Plus Collection comprised 19 first and third-party PS4 games to download and play through backward compatibility. Some, including Days Gone, even feature enhancements, such as 60fps and native 4K resolution.
Unfortunately, Sony removed this benefit from 9 May 2023, so PlayStation Plus Collection is no longer available to claim.
PlayStation Plus Collection game list
Here are the games that were available in the PlayStation Plus Collection:
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