PS Plus Essential: games, price, upgrade – all information about the basic subscription

Existing Sony subscriptions will be converted to PS Plus Essential. But what does that mean for free games and the price of the premium service?

Hamburg – Everything is changing for Sony’s PS Plus. Really everything? Not quite, because with the new PS Plus Essential tariff everything stays the same for players. If you decide to subscribe to PS4 and PS5, you will be offered monthly games for download at no extra charge as usual. But how does the brand new old tariff compare to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium?

PS Plus Essential: Which subscription model should it be? – The agony of choice

What plans are available for PS Plus? If you want to play with the new PS Plus, you have to choose between three levels. Players can choose between PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium. You can upgrade your tariff at any time. On the other hand, if you complete one of the more expensive levels, you cannot switch back to one of the cheaper ones until the end of the subscription. For example, if you take out a subscription to PS Plus Premium, you cannot switch back to PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Essential during the full term. In our overview you can see what to expect from the three subscription levels:

How expensive is PS Plus Essential? Anyone who decides to subscribe to PS Plus Essential does not have to dig quite as deep into their pockets as with the other two tiers of the Sony service. Players pay 8.99 euros for a month of PS Plus Essential. If you buy 3 months, Sony charges 24.99 euros and those who opt for 12 months of PS Plus Essential have to pay 59.99 euros.

If you choose the annual subscription PS Plus Essential, you save almost 50 euros compared to monthly billing. However, it cannot be ruled out that third-party retailers such as Amazon PS Plus Essential will occasionally offer offers. So if you keep your eyes open, you might be able to save even more on your PS Plus Essential subscription.

PS Plus Essential: Two free games per month and access to online gaming

What are the benefits of PS Plus Essential? Anyone who was already a customer of the old PS Plus basically already knows what to expect from PS Plus Essential. With the move to Sony’s new system, all traditional subscriptions will be converted to a PS Plus Essential membership. Under the new name, however, everything will remain the same. You still get at least two free titles for PS4 and PS5 from Sony every month and you still need PS Plus to play online. This is included in the subscription:

Who is PS Plus Essential for? Sony’s cheapest subscription model is the basis for every gamer who wants to play online with their PS4 or PS5. If you want to compete with other players, you can’t avoid the Sony subscription. The at least two additional games per month may be a nice bonus, but if you are looking for a concentrated load of gaming fun, you are better off with PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Premium.

When will PS Plus Extra be available? European players will have access to the new PS Plus from June 22, 2022. At the same time, Sony’s big PS Plus switch shouldn’t be flipped for all gamers. On his site the PS5 manufacturer has therefore already announced that the changeover for some members can last until June 23rd.

List of rubrics: © Sony/Montage