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Sony's PlayStation Plus subscription service provides PS5 and PS4 owners with essential services, like online multiplayer, cloud save storage, and tons of downloadable games. Users can choose between three different tiers with monthly and annual payment options.
Plans start at $10 a month, but to unlock access to the game library, you need a more expensive PlayStation Plus Extra ($15) or Premium ($18) plan. PlayStation Plus Premium also includes streaming on PS5, PS4, and PC, so you don't have to wait for games to install before you start playing.
PlayStation Plus is a direct competitor to Xbox Game Pass, a service that has amassed more than 25 million subscribers and is often compared to Netflix for its large library of games and streaming capabilities. Check out our Xbox Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus breakdown to see how the services stack up.
To help you decide whether Sony's subscription platform is worth the price of admission, we've put together a rundown of PlayStation Plus plans, features, and games.
PlayStation Plus Premium ($18/month) allows gamers to play online, download tons of games, and stream select titles to PlayStation consoles and PCs. This gift card can be used to purchase a plan from Sony's store.
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What is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus is a gaming subscription service that launched in 2010 and then expanded with new plans in 2022; it's required to play most multiplayer games online on PS5 and PS4 consoles and to keep your game save data backed up in the PlayStation cloud.
PlayStation Plus is available in three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The latter two plans give members additional features, including the ability to play hundreds of PlayStation games as part of their subscription.
PlayStation Plus members also get access to free games every month that they can keep for as long as they're a member. Sony gives discounts and special offers to PlayStation Plus members in the PlayStation digital store as well.
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How much is PlayStation Plus?
Sony offers three PlayStation Plus plans. The Essential plan starts at $10/month, while Extra starts at $15/month, and Premium starts at $18/month. All three tiers are also available at a discount if you choose to pay for three months or one year upfront. Sony's most recent price increase for PlayStation Plus came in September 2023.
PlayStation Plus plans and prices
PlayStation Plus Essential | PlayStation Plus Extra | PlayStation Plus Premium | |
Price | $10/month, $25/three months, $80/year | $15/month, $40/three months, $135/year | $18/month, $50/three months, $160/year |
Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cloud saving | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Free monthly games | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PS5 and PS4 game library (up to 400 titles) | No | Yes | Yes |
PlayStation, PS2, PS3, PSP game library (up to 340 titles) | No | No | Yes |
Streaming games on PC and PlayStation consoles | No | No | Yes |
| Sony Pictures Catalogue with over 100 movies to stream | No | No | Yes |
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What features are included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium?
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium plans include several additional features you won't find on the standard PlayStation Plus Essential plan.
PlayStation Plus Extra offers up to 400 downloadable games for PS4 and PS5 along with the core services of PlayStation Plus, like online multiplayer, cloud saving, free games every month, and discounts on digital releases.
PlayStation Plus Premium provides more than 300 classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PlayStation Portable, along with more than 400 games for PS4 and PS5. PlayStation Plus Premium members are also able to stream some PS5, PS4, and PS3 games on PlayStation consoles and PC. Subscribers can also access a library of more than 100 Sony movies to stream on demand.
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What games are included with PlayStation Plus?
Sony's website has a full list of games included with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium plans. The list includes multiple PlayStation exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War, Uncharted, and Ghost of Tsushima. Third-party titles are available, too, like Grand Theft Auto V, Resident Evil 7, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.
More games get added to the PlayStation Plus catalog on a rolling basis. A game's inclusion in the library isn't always permanent, however, so some titles may be removed over time.
Video Game Reporter
Kevin Webb is a gaming reporter based from the New York City Insider Inc. office. He graduated from Morehouse College in 2013 and worked as an Assistant Editor with Darien Times and as a member of the Shoryuken content team prior to joining Business Insider in 2018. Kevin has also been a competitive Street Fighter player since 2007 and will still take on all challengers. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.
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