PlayStation Plus Tiers Explained: Eveything You Need to Know

PlayStation Plus is a subscription service for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players. It offers multiple benefits, including free video games, without burning a hole in the wallet. It has been in existence for a long time, but in June 2022, Sony made noticeable changes to make it competitive against Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass.

Sony divided the existing PlayStation Plus subscription into three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Each tier comes with special benefits, and you obviously need to pay more for additional perks. This is the reason it could get confusing to pick the right tier, but worry not, we are here to help.

Here is a detailed explanation of PlayStation Plus subscription tiers.

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PlayStation Plus Tiers Price and Benefits

PlayStation Plus Essential Price and Benefits

PlayStation Plus Essential is the most affordable tier of the subscription service. It was known as PlayStation Plus until 2022, when Sony introduced tier-based plans. The only difference is the new name, as the benefits remain unchanged.

The Essential tier adds three to four new PS4/PS5 games each month. These games need to be claimed before the deadline. These titles are added to your library once claimed and can be played as long as you have an active PS Plus membership. If you forget to claim these free monthly games, they cannot be played unless you purchase them.

Other benefits include online multiplayer support, cloud storage for uploading your game save data, Share Play, exclusive content, and exclusive discounts. Share Play is a feature that lets you share your game screen with a friend in real-time. Your friend will be able to watch the game screen and also play the game from his own screen. A Share Play session lasts for one hour and can only be shared with one friend at a time.

Price:

• $9.99 for one month
• $24.99 for 3 months
• $79.99 for 12 months

PlayStation Plus Extra Price and Benefits

PlayStation Plus Extra is one of the two newly added membership tiers. It offers a couple of extra benefits in addition to everything that you get with the Essential tier. These include access to the Game Catalogue and Ubisoft+ Classics. Both these additions mean you get instant access to a library of hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games.

It boasts games like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War: Ragnarok, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, Control, and more. You can check the complete catalogue here.

Unlike free monthly games, these titles do not need to be claimed. The only thing to note is that Sony keeps removing and adding games to the library regularly. It means there is a possibility Sony may remove a game that you are playing or have plans to play in the future. If that happens, you will either have to buy the game or wait until Sony adds it again to the catalog.

Price:

• $14.99 for one month
• $39.99 for 3 months
• $134.99 for 12 months

Also Read: 21 Best PS Plus Games to Play

PlayStation Plus Premium Price and Benefits

PlayStation Plus Premium is the top-tier, packed with all the benefits that Sony has to offer. It also adds two new perks on top of everything you get with the Extra tier. These include Classics Catalogue and Game Trials.

Classics Catalogue is a collection of PlayStation classic titles that were released on the PS2, PS3, and PSP. Some of the titles are Tekken 2, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Doom, G-Police, MediEvil, Tomb Raider: Legend, Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection, God of War 3 Remastered, Assassin’s Creed 3 Remastered, and more. Check the complete list here.

Game Trials is a perk that lets players try new video games for a limited time without paying anything extra. It helps them decide whether they should spend money and buy the full version. The best part is that your game progress and unlocked Trophies get carried over to the full version. Some of the available game trials include Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Stellar Blade, Black Myth: Wukong, Baldur’s Gate 3, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and more. A complete list can be checked here.

Price:

• $17.99 for one month
• $49.99 for 3 months
• $159.99 for 12 months

Here is a quick overview of PlayStation Plus tiers’ pricing and benefits:

Note: The aforementioned PlayStation Plus tier prices are applicable unless there is a promotional offer/deal going on.

PlayStation Plus Tiers: Which one to pick?

While it may seem obvious to go for the top-tier PlayStation Plus Deluxe because it has all the benefits, things are not as straightforward. You should go for this tier only if you are sure about playing original PlayStation classics and trying out new game trials.

PlayStation Plus Extra is undoubtedly the most value-for-money tier for new gamers. It gives you access to numerous amazing titles, including PlayStation exclusives. These would easily cost hundreds of dollars if you were to purchase them individually. The best approach is to check out the catalogue to see how many games you would want to play. If you have already played the majority of the titles you are interested in, it could make more sense to buy those games individually on deals or score a pre-owned copy. After all, you will also get to keep those games forever.

PlayStation Plus Essential is the right choice if you are interested only in the essential stuff, like online multiplayer and cloud storage. Access to free monthly games and exclusive deals is a bonus that makes the deal even better.

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