Playstation Plus: New details on upgrades, PS classics and more – News

The new revised Playstation Plus subscription, which offers you three levels with Essential, Extra and Premium, each with a different range of games, will be launched in Europe on June 22nd. The service has been available in various Asian markets since May 23. In addition to an updated Guide on the Playstation Blog is now on Reddit from various Asian users also first field reports from practice. Note that details are subject to change or adjustments prior to the official launch in the US and Europe.

Continuation and upgrade of existing PS Plus subscriptions
According to the PS blog, existing Playstation Plus subscriptions will automatically be switched to Playstation Plus Essential and will have the same benefits as before (monthly free games, cloud storage, online multiplayer) with the same term. Playstation Now users or subscriptions to both services migrate to Playstation Plus Premium for the longer of the two subscriptions.

If you want to upgrade your current subscription to a higher level such as Extra or Premium, you must note that an upgrade is only possible for the entire remaining term of the existing subscription. For example, if you currently have a PS Plus subscription until the end of 2023, you will immediately have to pay the full additional costs for the higher subscription level until the end of 2023 when you upgrade. A one-month test upgrade to Premium is not possible, here you can use a second account as an alternative, for example, for which you buy a month of Premium.

In this context, some Reddit users also report that the upgrade difference to be paid depends on the amount you originally paid for your PS Plus subscription and previous discounts are not taken into account. For example, if you bought a one-year PS Plus membership during the last discount campaign in the PS Store for the offer price of 39.99 euros instead of 59.99 euros, an upgrade to the extra level, which costs 99.99 euros a year costs, a difference of 99.99 euros – 39.99 euros = 60 euros instead of 40 euros will be charged.

Alternatively, you can use a retail voucher code (1-month, 3-month or 12-month membership for Playstation Plus or Playstation Now) to extend your subscription. For existing subscriptions, the redeemed voucher will be converted into a time period corresponding to the voucher value based on your current PS Plus membership level (you can find more detailed information in this conversion table). For example, if you redeem a 12-month PS Plus voucher, your extra membership will be extended by 219 days, while the premium level will be 183 days.

Classic Playstation games
Sony recently published a list of Playstation classics that are part of the premium subscription tier. If you have previously purchased digital versions of these PS1 and PSP titles, you will be able to download a PS4 or PS5 version at no additional cost once they are released on the Playstation Store. A separate purchase or Playstation Plus membership is not required to play. Some of the titles will also be available for individual purchase outside of the subscription.

A few of these games will also feature trophies for the first time, including Ape Escape, Hot Shot’s Golf, IQ Intelligent Qube such as siphon filters. This option is optional for developers and therefore not available for every game.

As with Sony’s retro mini-console Playstation Classic, some of the games are only available in the European PAL version (50 Hz) and not in the NTSC version (60 Hz) and therefore run more slowly or can jerk. VGC confirms this for, among other things Ape Escape,Everybody’s Golf, Wild Arms, jumping flash, kurushi as well as the Worms-Title.

Time-limited trial versions
The premium tier also includes time-limited demos of games like Horizon – Forbidden West, Cyberpunk 2077, Tiny Tina’s Wonderland or Uncharted – Legacy of Thieves Collection. Trophies earned during the trial period will remain permanently on your PSN profile. Your savegames will be transferred when you purchase the game and you can continue playing from that point.

downloadable content
You can purchase DLC and add-on content from the PSN Store for titles from the Playstation Plus catalogue. If your subscription expires or the games are no longer part of the service, you will lose access to the DLC associated with the game. If you later purchase the main game, you will be able to use your purchased DLC again. Note that DLC and add-on content are not supported when streaming a title.

Online validation for Extra and Premium download titles
If you want to play a downloaded game from the Extra or Premium games catalogue, you will need to be connected online to PSN every 7 days to validate your Playstation Plus membership and continue having access to the game.