PlayStation Plus Introduces Three-Tiered Membership: Essential, Extra, and Premium
Since the summer of 2022, PlayStation Plus has reimagined its membership structure with three tiers. Similar to streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, the higher the tier you choose, the more benefits you gain. In this guide, we’ll explore the offerings of each PS Plus tier, help you decide which one is right for you, and provide information on upgrading memberships, costs, included games, and more.
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PS Plus Tiers:
1. Essential
PS Plus Essential is the base tier and includes access to online play, cloud saves, two free games per month, and discounts on the PlayStation Store.
2. Extra
The Extra tier offers all the benefits of Essential, along with new monthly PS4 and PS5 games and access to a catalog of around 400 games.
3. Premium
For the ultimate experience, choose the Premium tier. This tier includes all the benefits of Essential and Extra, as well as access to PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 titles. PS3 games can be streamed, and these back catalog games can be streamed to a PS4, PS5, or PC. Additionally, Premium tier members receive time-limited game trials.
Included Benefits:
PS Plus Essential
- Access online multiplayer
- Cloud saves
- Two rotating, downloadable games per month
- PlayStation Store discounts
PS Plus Extra
- All Essential tier benefits
- Access and download a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games
PS Plus Premium
- All Extra and Essential tier benefits
- Ability to download or stream PS1, PS3, and PSP games
- Streaming-only for PS3 games
- Stream back catalog games to a PS4, PS5, or PC
- Time-limited game trials
Featured Games:
PS Plus offers a variety of games across its tiers. Essential members receive two free rotating games each month. Extra and Premium members have even more options to choose from, including popular titles like Returnal, God of War, Death Stranding, Ratchet & Clank, Spider-Man Miles Morales, Bloodborne, Red Dead Redemption 2, Demon’s Souls, and many more.
Membership Costs:
- PS Plus Essential: $9.99 monthly / $24.99 quarterly / $59.99 yearly
- PS Plus Extra: $14.99 monthly / $39.99 quarterly / $99.99 yearly
- PS Plus Premium: $17.99 monthly / $49.99 quarterly / $119.99 yearly
Upgrading Your PS Plus Tier:
If you’re already a PS Plus Essential member and want to upgrade to a different tier, it’s a straightforward process. Simply go to the PS Plus page on your PlayStation console or dedicated webpage and select the desired tier (Extra or Premium). You’ll be charged a fee based on the remaining balance from your current membership. For example, if you have a full year of Essential remaining ($59.99) and want to upgrade to Extra ($99.99) for a year, you’ll only pay $40 to upgrade.
Please note that upgrading to Premium follows the same principles. After upgrading, your membership will be set to auto-renew, so remember to turn it off if you don’t want to be charged the full amount next year.
Black Friday Deal: Limited-Time Discounts
For Black Friday, PlayStation Plus is offering exclusive discounts from November 17th to November 27th. New subscribers can enjoy a 30% discount on 12-month subscriptions of Essential, Extra, or Premium. Current subscribers are not left out and can get 25% off upgrades to Extra or 30% off upgrades to Premium.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.