New PS Plus service: How the new subscription works and what tier you should buy

The much anticipated overhaul to Playstation’s PS Plus subscription service is now available worldwide with three different tiers to choose from – but which one is right for you?

Dubbed “Project Spartacus” before launch, this updated offering for Playstation subscribers will provide access to Sony’s library of classic PS4 games, PS5 exclusives and retro titles from earlier consoles as well as access to exclusive demos of upcoming titles ahead of their release. Now there’s even a chance to try the updated service for a free seven-day trial before commiting to a purchase, so you can play upcoming PS5 games at no extra cost.

The all new and improved Playstation Plus launched in June 2022 with three payment options for new and existing subscribers: “essential”, “extra” and “premium”. The essential tier will cost £6.99 per month (Playstation.com), the extra tier will cost £10.99 per month (Playstation.com) and the highest tier, premium, will be available for £13.49 per month (Playstation.com).

The essential tier will cost the same as the current Playstation Plus subscription and will effectively offer the same service, with access to cloud saves, multiplayer and free games every month.

But if you’re interested in the free trial including higher tiers, how much they will cost and what games will be included, then keep reading, as we’ve got all the information you’ll need.

How to download free PS Plus trial

If you’re looking to try before you buy, then Playstation has just launched a new seven-day trial period for both extra and premium tiers of the new service so you can decide which is the right one for you. Simply visit the Playstation website and choose which tier you want to subscribe to for the seven-day period. If you’re not interested in keeping the subscription, then you will need to make sure that you cancel it before the trial period ends but it’s an excellent way to sample a week of free games!

Download your free PS Plus extra and premium now

What PS4 and PS5 games are featured on PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers?

If you’re looking to upgrade your current PS Plus subscription to get access to a whole new library of titles, which are regularly updated for subscribers. We’ll be adding all the latest games to our extensive list below, so be sure to stay tuned for all the latest updates.

In short, it’s quite a lot of games and with each month more games are going to be added to the service. You can find the full list on the Playstation blog.

First-party PS4 and PS5 titles available on PS Plus extra and premium:

Third-party PS4 and PS5 titles available on PS Plus extra and premium:

What PS1 and PSP games are coming to PS Plus?

As well as a full library of PS4 and PS5 games, classic PS1 titles and PSP games are also expected to make their way to the service at the two higher tiers of the PS Plus subscription with higher frame rates and improved resolution.

These includes titles that have also been remastered on newer consoles, which we have detailed below.

PS1 and PSP games available on PS Plus extra and premium:

PS1 and PSP remasters available on PS Plus extra and premium:

PS3 games available on PS Plus premium in June 2022

PS3 games will be available to stream and play on PS4, PS5 and PC with the premium tier subscription. These are original, non-remastered versions of the PS3 games and will be available to play over an internet connection. This is the full selection of PS3 games that players will be able to enjoy:

Time-limited game trials explained

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As well as accessing all the games listed above, players will also have a chance to try out new titles for a set amount of time before purchase.

After downloading a trial of the full game, you can play it for around two hours – the playtime counter only counts while you are in the game. Any trophies and game save data from the trial period will carry-forward if you decide to purchase the game after you’ve completed the trial. These are some of the titles that will be part of the game trials:

Playstation Plus essential explained

The lowest tier of the upcoming Playstation Plus service will cost £6.99 per month, £19.99 quarterly or £49.99 annually – at the time of writing, these prices match up with the cost of the service as it currently operates. The essential tier will offer players the following perks:

Buy Playstation Plus essential now

Playstation Plus extra explained

The mid-tier of the upcoming Playstation Plus service will cost £10.99 monthly, £31.99 quarterly or £83.99 yearly.

The extra tier will offer players all the benefits of the essential tier, with the added inclusion of 400 downloadable games from the PS4 and PS5 library. These will include blockbuster hits from Playstation Studios such as Returnal and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales as well as a selection of other third-party titles.

Buy Playstation Plus extra now

Playstation Plus premium explained

The highest tier of the Playstation Plus service will cost around £13.49 monthly, £39.99 quarterly or £99.99 per year. At this tier, Playstation users will have access to the essential and extra tier perks with the added benefit of 340 more games all from the PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP generation of consoles.

PS3 games can be streamed through the subscription’s cloud service while the other generations will be available through either streaming or download.

One of the biggest benefits for subscribers at this tear is the inclusion of time-limited game trials, which will offer players a chance to play new titles before they are released.

Buy Playstation Plus premium now

When will new games be added to PS Plus?

According to the Playstation Blog, the essential tier will still provide subscribers with at least one new game each month which will take place on the first Tuesday of the month for the PlayStation Plus Essential plan (as well as both higher tiers).

An additional monthly refresh will occur in the middle of each month with new games across the PlayStation Plus extra and premium plans. The number of games refreshed will vary per month but expect to see more first-party titles gradually added to the service.

Can you still buy PS Plus subscriptions using retail cards?

According to some reports, Sony could be in the process of discontinuing its 1-month, 3-month and 12-month PS Plus cards at third party retailers, likely to coincide with the release of the new PS Plus service.

The news was originally reported by Polish website XGP with VGC reporting that while cards are still available from Currys, they’re no longer being supplied at other retailers such as Amazon, Game, Smyths or Argos in the UK.

When did the new PS Plus service launch?

The new PS Plus service is now available in every region. The first wave was activated in Asia on 24 May, followed by Japan on 2 June and in North and South America on 13 June. Finally, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand gained access to the new Playstation Plus service on 23 June. All players with an existing PS Plus subscription will automatically be enrolled onto the essential tier, with the choice to upgrade their subscription.

Want to know what games we’re looking forward to? Read our full list of upcoming PS5 games for 2022