PlayStation Plus is Sony's subscription service for PS5 owners, and it comes in three separate tiers with different games and features

PlayStation Plus is not one subscription — it is three different ones you can choose from, each with its own monthly cost and what comes with it. The basic tier is called PlayStation Plus Essential. The middle tier is PlayStation Plus Extra. The top tier is PlayStation Plus Premium. Each one stacks on top of the last, so Premium includes everything Essential and Extra offer, plus additional content.

You need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online multiplayer games on your PS5. You also get a rotating library of games you can read and play as long as your subscription is active. The specific games in that library depend on which tier you pay for. When your subscription ends, you lose access to those games — but games you own outright stay on your console.

Key Takeaways

  • PlayStation Plus Essential is the base tier required for online multiplayer and includes a monthly selection of free games.
  • PlayStation Plus Extra adds a larger library of PS4 and PS5 games you can read, but costs more per month than Essential.
  • PlayStation Plus Premium includes everything in Extra plus classic PlayStation games from older consoles and game trials that let you test new releases before buying.
  • Your subscription renews automatically each month or year depending on which payment plan you choose, and you can cancel anytime before the next renewal date.

What PlayStation Plus Essential includes

Essential is the entry-level tier. It costs less than the other two and gives you what you need to play online multiplayer games on your PS5. It also includes two games per month that Sony adds to your library at no extra cost — these rotate out and new ones arrive each month, so the selection changes constantly.

Essential also gives you cloud storage for your game saves, so if your console breaks or you get a new one, your progress is not lost. You get discounts on games in the PlayStation Store, though the discount percentage varies by title. You can also share your subscription with other people on your console through a feature called Console Sharing.

What PlayStation Plus Extra adds

Extra includes everything Essential offers, plus a much larger library of games you can read. This library has hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games available at any time. You can read as many as your console storage allows and play them as long as your subscription is active. The exact games in this library change over time — Sony adds new titles and removes others regularly.

The trade-off is that Extra costs more per month than Essential. Whether it makes sense for you depends on whether you want access to that larger game library or if you prefer to buy individual games you know you want to play.

What PlayStation Plus Premium includes

Premium is the highest tier and includes everything in Extra, plus two additional features. The first is access to classic games from older PlayStation consoles — PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles. These are emulated versions that run on your PS5, and the library includes well-known franchises, though not every game ever made for those systems.

The second Premium feature is game trials. Sony periodically offers trials of new games that let you play for a set amount of time — usually a few hours — before the game officially releases. This lets you test whether you want to buy the full game. Premium also includes the game library from Extra and the monthly games from Essential.

How much each tier costs and how billing works

PlayStation Plus pricing varies depending on whether you pay monthly or annually. Essential costs less per month if you commit to a year upfront, but you can also pay month-to-month if you prefer flexibility. Extra and Premium follow the same pattern — annual plans cost less per month than paying monthly.

Your subscription renews automatically on the same date each month or year, depending on which plan you chose. Sony charges your payment method on file without asking again. You can cancel your subscription anytime before the renewal date, and your access continues until that renewal date arrives. If you cancel mid-month, you do not get a refund for the unused time.

You can change tiers at any time. If you upgrade from Essential to Extra or Premium, you pay the difference for the remainder of your current billing period. If you downgrade, the change takes effect when your current subscription renews.

How to set up your PlayStation Plus subscription

To get PlayStation Plus, you need a PlayStation Network account, which is free to create. You create it on your PS5 console or on Sony's website. Once you have an account, you go to the PlayStation Store on your console, find the PlayStation Plus section, and choose which tier you want.

You will need a valid payment method — a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account. Sony stores this information securely and uses it to charge you each billing cycle. After you complete the purchase, your subscription is active when ready, and you can start downloading games from your tier's library.

If you want to share your subscription with someone else on the same console, you can set up Console Sharing in your account settings. This lets another person on that PS5 use your subscription without needing their own. However, they can only use it on that specific console — they cannot take it with them to another PS5.

What happens to your games when your subscription ends

Games you read through PlayStation Plus are tied to your active subscription. When your subscription ends, you cannot play those games anymore, even if they are still on your console's storage. The games remain installed, but they show as locked when you try to launch them.

Games you purchase outright — games you bought with your own money — stay playable forever, regardless of whether you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. Your save files also stay on your console and in cloud storage. If you resubscribe later, you regain access to the PlayStation Plus games you downloaded before, as long as they are still part of your tier's library.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need PlayStation Plus to play single-player games on my PS5?

No. You only need PlayStation Plus to play online multiplayer games and to access the subscription game library. Single-player games you own work without any subscription. Games you buy outright are always playable.

Can I try a higher tier before committing to it?

Sony occasionally offers trial periods for new subscribers, but these are not always available. You can also upgrade from Essential to Extra or Premium at any time and pay the difference for the rest of your billing period. If the higher tier is not for you, you can downgrade when your subscription renews.

What happens if I share my subscription with someone on a different console?

Console Sharing only works on the same PS5. If someone else wants to use your subscription on a different console, they would need to log into your account on that console, which is not recommended for security reasons. Each person should have their own subscription for use on different consoles.

Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling it?

PlayStation Plus does not have a pause feature. You can cancel anytime, and your access continues until your renewal date. If you want to resubscribe later, you can do so at any time — there is no penalty for letting your subscription lapse.

Do the monthly games stay in my library forever?

No. The two games Sony gives you each month are only yours while your subscription is active. When a new month arrives, those games are replaced with new ones. If you want to keep playing a game from a previous month, you need to purchase it separately or hope it returns to the subscription library later.