Which PlayStation Plus Tier Is Actually Worth The Money?

Before 2022, PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) was a single-tier service that offered online multiplayer, two monthly games, cloud storage, exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store, and a collection of about 20 high-quality PS4 games for PlayStation 5 users at $9.99 per month. When it was split into three tiers, Essential, Extra, and Premium, users had access to more features than before, including over 700 games, cloud streaming, and game trials. While each has its merits, determining which PlayStation Plus tier is worth the money for you comes down to your gaming habits.

For most users, PlayStation Plus Extra will deliver the best bang for the buck. It offers a solid middle ground between Essential and Premium. You get more games to play than Essential, and it allows users to avoid paying for any unneeded extras that come with the Premium tier. It's the one that provides a solid balance between cost and content, and you'll see why once you look at all three services at a glance.

The lowest tier, Essential, is what PlayStation Plus was before the split, including the price of $9.99 per month. The biggest difference is that new subscribers no longer get the PS Plus Collection, which was a curated list of about 20 PS4 games, including "Bloodborne," "God of War," and "The Last of Us Remastered," that PS5 owners could add to their library at no extra cost. Currently, Essential gets you two monthly game, online multiplayer, exclusive content and discounts, and cloud storage.

Extra, which costs $14.99 per month, has everything Essential has, but it also has more than 400 rotating PS4 and PS5 games that players can download and play. It's called the Game Catalog, and it includes several third-party and indie games, as well as high-profile Sony first-party games, but unlike Game Pass, these games are not available on the service on day one. It also includes Ubisoft Classics+, consisting of older Ubisoft games, such as "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag" and "Far Cry 6."

The Premium tier features the Classics Catalog, which adds more than 300 downloadable games from the PS1, PS2, and PSP generations. Additionally, Cloud Streaming lets you stream games on the PS3, PS4, PS5, PC, and PS Portal. You also get exclusive game trials, giving you additional hours of playtime. All this costs $17.99 per month.

To get more value for your money, go with PS Plus Extra. You can easily play hundreds of dollars' worth of content in a few months, especially if you've been eyeing those blockbuster PlayStation Studio titles like "Horizon Zero Dawn," "The Last of Us: Part 1," and "Spider-Man 2." It's also frequently updated with major titles from third-party studios, such as "Silent Hill 2," "Alan Wake 2," "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2," and "Unicorn Overlord."

Even after its PlayStation Plus yearly subscriptions got a huge price hike in 2023, the Extra tier still has potential for massive savings at $134.99 per year. You can play dozens of titles before the year is up, and channel the discounts toward getting one or two $70 games that you really want. Also, if the game you want is in the catalog, you can subscribe for a month, play it, and then cancel.

Essential ($79.99 per year) is ideal if you barely play more than one game a month, want to focus on one paid live-service game (e.g., "Helldivers 2" or "Marathon"), or have a massive backlog. Premium ($159.99 per year) is intended primarily for users who are driven by nostalgia and want the classics, or those who want to stream games using the PS Portal.