If you’ve got your hands on a PlayStation 5, you’re probably hungry to delve into a whole new world of next-generation games and Sony exclusives. It’s hard to pick and choose which games to get, so you don’t spend your last penny. If that’s your problem, you’ll want to check out a PlayStation Plus membership. That being said, the service was overhauled last year, and now there are three different levels that will give you access to online play, exclusive discounts and a large library of free games, so you won’t be long in paralysis in deciding which game to play. to win or break the bank trying to play them all.
Deals have been pretty hard to come by since the redesign. While Sony is offering the first direct discount we’ve seen on new PS Plus subscriptions of its size Days of Play sale, it has since ended. But there are some third-party offers that you can take advantage of right now. Below, we break down how the new PS Plus subscriptions work, as well as the best ways to sign up for less. We will continue to update this page as more deals and discounts come in, so be sure to check back often. And for even more savings, you can check out our roundup of the best deals PlayStation games, gear and accessories.
View by: PlayStation Plus: Choosing the Best Tier
What has changed?
Before the change, PlayStation offered two different subscription services. PlayStation Plus is a $10-per-month service similar to Xbox Live Gold which allows you to play online and participate in multiplayer games. PlayStation Now is a $10-a-month cloud gaming service that gives gamers access to a huge library of classic titles from the PS2, PS3 and PS4. The new PS Plus essentially rolls both memberships into one service with multiple subscription levels. There are three different membership packages available, combining different features and benefits of the two previous subscriptions.
PS Plus is essential
For $10 per month, $25 for three months or $60 for the year, PlayStation Plus is essential no different from the previous PS Plus subscription. It offers all the same features, including access to online play, two monthly free games, cloud storage and exclusive PlayStation Store discounts. If you had a PS Plus membership before the revamp went live, it will automatically convert to an Essential membership.
PS Plus Extra
For $15 per month, $40 for three months or $100 for the year, a midtier More PlayStation Plus subscription somewhat similar to Game Pass Ultimate membership offered to Xbox users. It includes all the benefits and features of an Essential membership, but also gives you access to a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games. The selection includes many hit titles such as God of War, Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima.
PS Plus Premium
A PlayStation Plus Premium Membership is the highest level available, and clocks in at $18 per month, $50 for three months or $120 for a full year. In addition to all the benefits of an Essential and Extra subscription, it gives you access to a huge library of more than 700 games. That includes recent PS4 and PS5 hits from the Extra subscription, but also a catalog of more than 300 classics from the eras of PS1, PS2 and PS3 (like the previous PS Now subscription ). It lets you stream many of these classic titles, so you don’t have to worry about them eating up your precious storage space. You also get access to time-limited game trials, so you can try out new games before you commit to a purchase. If you had a PS Now subscription before the change went live, it will automatically convert to a PlayStation Plus Premium membership.
PS Plus deals
Things were pretty chaotic leading up to the change, with people stacking up on discounted memberships and racking up hundreds of savings before Sony figured out the loophole. It has been closed for a while, and since then we haven’t seen many opportunities to save on a service. Sony offered the first direct discounts we’ve seen on new subscriptions during the Days of Play sale, but it’s now over. Fortunately, there are still some holdover deals on the original PS Plus that you can take advantage of if you’re only interested in the Essential-tier membership.
CDKeys is one of the places you can find savings on Sony gaming subscriptions right now. This offer is technically for an original PS Plus subscription from before the change, which will automatically convert to an Essential membership. We haven’t had a chance to test this deal ourselves, but many reviewers say they have no problem redeeming one of these old codes. An Essential membership is usually $60 for the year, which is already a 50% discount on the monthly pricing plan. But now with CD Keys, you can get an annual subscription for $50, which lowers the monthly cost by more than $4. You won’t have access to a huge library of games, but you can play online and you’ll get two free games every month.
