Guide: PlayStation Plus Tiers, Pricing, Benefits And Which Is Right For You

PlayStation Plus is the subscription service that PlayStation offers which really allows players to take full advantage of their PlayStation console.

From free games, to online play, to game trials and more, there’s a lot of reasons to sign up for a subscription, and this piece will break down everything you need to know about PlayStation Plus, and which tier of the subscription is right for you.

We’ll answer questions like how much is PlayStation Plus, and why should I subscribe to the Extra tier over the Essential tier and more.

Let’s get to it.

Guide: PlayStation Plus Tiers, Pricing, Benefits And Which Is Right For You

How Much Is PlayStation Plus?

A simple question, though it unfortunately comes with a not so simple answer, because it’s in fact three answers. How much you’ll pay for PlayStation Plus depends on which tier you choose to subscribe to.

Here are the three tiers to choose from and their prices:

• PlayStation Plus Essential – $79.99 USD / £59.99 GBP / €71.99 EUR / 6,800 Yen
• PlayStation Plus Extra – $134.99 USD / £99.99 GBP / €125.99 EUR / 11,700 Yen
• PlayStation Plus Premium – $159.99 USD / £119.99 GBP / €151.99 EUR / 13,900 Yen

PlayStation Plus Benefits – By Tier

PlayStation Plus Essential

• Allows you to play online
• Get three free games each month that you can access so long as you keep your subscription active
• PS5/PS4 game cloud saves
• PlayStation Store discounts and sales not available to those without a subscription

PlayStation Plus Extra

All of the above, including:

• A wide catalog of over 400 PS5 and PS4 games, some of which will launch into the service (i.e. Stray)
• Six new games added to that catalog every month, on top of the three games you get from PS Plus Essential

PlayStation Plus Premium

All of the above, including:

• A catalog of classic PS3, PS2, PS1 and PSP games playable on PS5 by downloading them or over streaming
• Game trials which let you check out select titles for a limited time, going deeper than a demo could by giving you the full experience for the length of the trial
• PS5 game cloud streaming, which means that players on this tier will be able to play PS5 games over streaming.

Which PlayStation Plus Tier Is Right For You?

Of course, there’s no strict rule to decide which tier is right for you, because the answer to that will depend on a number of variables.

If you don’t have the budget for anything beyond the Essential tier, then that’s the tier you have to go with. Assuming budget isn’t an issue though, there are other things to consider for which tier to choose.

Do you play online games? If you do, then you need at least the Essential tier. Do you already have a large library of PS5 and PS4 games, mainly PS4 games built up over the entire PS4 generation?

If you do, then you might already have a lot of the games available in the PS Plus Extra/Premium catalog.

Are you into retro games? If you are, then the PlayStation Plus Premium tier with its catalog of classic games might intrigue you, but it’s worth looking at what those games are before signing up.

For both the Extra and Premium tiers it’s wise to check out a list of which games you’ll be given access to, and if any of them catch your eye, and you can check out a list of which games are available here.

It all comes down to what you want to play and what you already have, when it comes to the catalogs.

At the very least, the Essential tier is aptly named because it gives you a backup of your game saves with cloud saves, and it gives you access to playing games online, which is basically essential for most modern players.

The three free games a month are a bonus at that point, though of course there’s the question of whether or not the price your paying is worth all that. But that’s for you to decide.