Here’s everything that is included in this simple, handy guide to a Playstation Plus subscription.
What is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus is the major video game console’s paid-for subscription service.
It offers online multiplayer gaming, free monthly games, discounts on digital games in the PlayStation Store, and more.
PlayStation Plus has recently undergone a transformation. The previous PlayStation Plus format (offering online multiplayer gaming, discounts, and free monthly games) has merged with the now-discontinued PlayStation Now service. PlayStation Now was PlayStation’s previous standalone game subscription service. It offered hundreds of games playable via cloud gaming and a selection of downloadable games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles.
The new look PlayStation Plus was revealed in March 2022 and officially launched in the UK in June 2022 as a three-tiered system. Each subscription tier – Essential, Extra, and Premium – offers a slightly different experience for users and each has its own price point.
What do you get with your PlayStation Plus Subscription?
The new PlayStation Plus UK subscription has three-tier options, Essential, Extra, and Premium. Each tier offers a different experience, with each subsequent tier including additional benefits over and above the previous tier for a higher price point.
PlayStation Plus Essential
Online multiplayer gaming, free monthly games, and exclusive Plus member discounts.
- Free monthly games
- Online multiplayer games
- Exclusive Plus member discounts
- Exclusive Plus member content, such as game add-ons
- Cloud storage – online storage for up to 100GB of game data
- Share Play – enjoy the same game with a friend, even if one of you doesn’t own it
- PlayStation Plus Collection – a collection of some of the greatest PS4 games, exclusive to PlayStation 5
- Game Help – spoiler-free in-game hints with supported games, exclusive to PS5
PlayStation Plus Extra
All the benefits of PlayStation Plus Essential plus hundreds of new titles and games.
- Free monthly games
- Online multiplayer gaming
- Exclusive Plus member discounts
- Exclusive Plus member content, such as game add-ons
- Cloud storage – online storage space for up to 100GB of game data
- Share Play – enjoy the same game with a friend, even if one of you doesn’t own it
- PlayStation Plus Collection – a collection of some of the greatest PS4 games, exclusive to PlayStation 5
- Game Help – spoiler-free in-game hints with supported games, exclusive to PS5
- Access to Game Catalogue – a library of up to 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games to download
- Ubisoft+ Classics – a selection of classic games from games developer, Ubisoft, such as games from the Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed franchises
PlayStation Plus Premium
Enjoy all the benefits of PlayStation Plus subscriptions.
- Free monthly games
- Online multiplayer gaming
- Exclusive Plus member discounts
- Exclusive Plus member content, such as game add-ons
- Cloud storage – online storage for up to 100GB of game data
- Share Play – enjoy the same game with a friend, even if one of you doesn’t own it
- PlayStation Plus Collection – a collection of some of the greatest PS4 games, exclusive to PlayStation 5
- Game Help – spoiler-free in-game hints with supported games, exclusive to PS5
- Access to Game Catalogue – a library of up to 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games to download
- Ubisoft+ Classics – a selection of classic games from games developer, Ubisoft, such as games from the Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed franchises
- Classics Catalogue – a collection of hundreds of classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PSP consoles
- Free games trials – trial a selection of the latest and biggest games on a time-limited basis
- Cloud streaming – streaming access to games from the Game Catalogue and Classics Catalogue via PlayStation 4 and PS5 consoles, and PC
Bear in mind that services vary by subscriber age. For example, if you are below a certain age you may have parental guidance or content blockers on certain elements.
How does a PlayStation Plus membership work?
When you sign up for a membership, you’ll immediately get access to all the services it provides, depending on the membership plan you have chosen.
- Some free monthly games are only available for PS5 users. If you own a PS4, some of the monthly games may not be available to you. The same goes for the PlayStation Plus Collection and Game Help services offered with all PlayStation Plus membership plans, which are only available to PlayStation 5 users.
- Reduced-price PS Plus subscriptions are offered periodically in the PlayStation Store. Keep an eye out every now and again for any subscription offers available, as you can stack subscriptions and take advantage of the lower prices.
- You can upgrade at any time and take advantage of a higher tier’s benefits instantly but if you downgrade it will not affect your subscription until the renewal date. This is worth noting as, if you choose to downgrade halfway through an annual PlayStation Plus subscription, you are still tied into your current tier until your current annual subscription ends, at which point you will then go on to the lower membership tier. Downgrading part-way through a subscription is not instantaneous and does not get you a partial refund of the difference in membership plan prices.
Is PlayStation Plus worth it?
If you own a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 and enjoy playing online multiplayer games, such as Battlefield 2042, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, FIFA, or The Elder Scrolls Online, then a PlayStation Plus subscription is a must-have, as you cannot play online multiplayer without a PlayStation Plus subscription for many AAA games.
The specific tier of subscription worth subscribing to, however, depends very much on your gaming preferences and usage of specific online features. There is no doubt that a PlayStation Plus subscription offers its members some very good perks – online multiplayer gaming, monthly free games, game trials of new games and exclusive discounts alone are worth paying for.
If you mainly play one or two online multiplayer AAA titles and do not need access to a large back catalogue of games, then the entry-level tier, PlayStation Plus Essential, will likely provide the best value to you. Online multiplayer and free monthly games make the cost of a subscription well worth it.
If you would like access to a large library of modern PlayStation 4 and 5 games but don’t feel like you’d be too interested in a back catalogue of older generation console games, then the mid-level subscription tier, PlayStation Plus Extra, will be of better value to you.
If you feel like you would make use of a large selection of your favourite games from PlayStation One, PS2, PS3, and PSP games and/or like streaming games on PC, and are also interested in trialling (in time-limited trials) new games, then the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription may be best for you. Premium members tier is the only tier amongst the PlayStation Plus subscriptions that you do not need a PlayStation console to enjoy some (not all) of its features, as the streaming service is available on PC as well as consoles.
How much does PlayStation Plus Subscription cost in the UK?
A PlayStation Plus subscription has several price points to choose from depending on whether you subscribe to the PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, or Premium tiers, with each tier carrying separate monthly, quarterly, and annual subscription options.
PlayStation Plus subscription prices are as follows:
PlayStation Plus Essential
A rolling, monthly subscription costs £6.99 a month.
A quarterly, three-month, subscription costs £19.99, saving you £0.98 per quarter over the monthly subscription.
An annual, 12-month subscription to costs £49.99, saving you £33.89 over the monthly subscription and £29.97 over the quarterly subscription options over the year.
PlayStation Plus Extra
A rolling, monthly subscription costs £10.99 a month.
A quarterly, three-month, subscription costs £31.99, saving you £0.98 per quarter over the monthly subscription.
An annual, 12-month subscription to PlayStation Plus Extra costs £83.99, saving you £47.89 over the monthly subscription and £43.97 over the quarterly subscription options over the year.
PlayStation Plus Premium
A rolling, monthly subscription costs £13.49 a month.
A quarterly, three-month, subscription costs £39.99, saving you £0.48 per quarter over the monthly subscription.
An annual, 12-month subscription to PlayStation Plus Essential costs £99.99, saving you £61.89 over the monthly subscription and £59.97 over the quarterly subscription options over the year.
There are currently no free trials of any tier of the new PlayStation Plus subscription service available in the UK, but PlayStation’s own PlayStation Store has been known to offer discounts throughout the year, so it is worth checking if they have any current promotions available before purchasing a subscription.
Does PlayStation Plus offer a membership plan for students?
No. PlayStation does not currently offer a student membership option for the PlayStation Plus service.
Can you get PlayStation Plus for free?
Unfortunately, there are currently no free trial options for PlayStation Plus. But 14-day free trials have been offered in the past for new PlayStation Plus subscribers along with large exclusive discounts for new and existing subscribers, so it is always worth keeping an eye out.
The ability for existing PlayStation Plus subscribers to ‘stack’ subscriptions also ensures that they don’t miss out on the best deals just because they have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
ScribePay will alert you if your Playstation Plus subscription changes.
Scribepay is the subscription management app that you need. Why?
- When the payment is about to change from free to a paid auto-renewal, we will send you a real-time payment alert notification. This will give you the option to accept or decline the payment. It ensures the only money leaving your account has your approval, and your bank account isn’t being drained by forgotten or unwanted subscriptions.
- We will also send you a notification if there’s a price change on your subscription, helping you avoid sneaky price increases that you’re not aware of.
How do you subscribe to PlayStation Plus?
To subscribe to PlayStation Plus:
- PlayStation Plus page on the PlayStation website
- Browse the page to find out more about the Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers
- Choose the membership plan that you want to purchase near the bottom of the page.
- Select either a 1 month, 3 months, or 12-month subscription
- Click the ‘Add to Cart’ button
- Log into PlayStation if you’re an existing customer, or create a new account
- Once you’re signed in, you’ll need to accept the terms outlining that PlayStation Plus is a recurring subscription service and then complete your purchase
And that’s it! You can now enjoy all the benefits of your chosen PlayStation Plus membership.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to PlayStation Plus through your PlayStation console by navigating to the PlayStation Plus section of your console’s home screen and choosing the membership option you wish to purchase, following the on-screen instructions.
Once you have purchased a PlayStation Plus subscription, the PlayStation Plus symbol will appear on your profile screen.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my PlayStation Plus Membership?
Since the PlayStation Plus subscription service has multiple tiers to choose from, you can upgrade at any point during your subscription. If you upgrade your PlayStation Plus subscription at any time, you will get instant access to the higher-level tier that you choose to upgrade to.
You will be charged a pro-rated amount to upgrade for the remainder of your subscription and then you will be charged the renewal rate for the upgraded tier at your next payment date.
For example, if you have an annual subscription for PlayStation Plus Essential, want to upgrade to PlayStation Plus Extra, and have 6 months left at the point at which you upgrade, you will be charged a pro-rated fee for the remaining 6 months of your PlayStation Plus subscription to level up to PlayStation Plus Extra.
Things get a little more complicated if you have ‘stacked’ subscriptions. A stacked subscription is when you have purchased a new PlayStation Plus subscription before your current PlayStation Plus subscription has run out. You may do this if you see an offer for a reduced-price PlayStation Plus subscription and don’t want to miss out on the savings. Since you have an existing subscription in place, the newly purchased subscription time gets added on, or ‘stacked’, to the end of your current subscription. If you have a ‘stacked’ subscription and decide to upgrade your PlayStation Plus tier, you’ll need to upgrade all the subscriptions at once and therefore you may pay a higher upgrade fee, which reflects the total length of subscription time requiring an upgrade.
How do you renew PlayStation Plus Subscription correctly?
By default, your PlayStation Plus subscription will automatically renew at the end of every month, quarter, or year, depending on your subscription.
But automatic renewal could leave you paying more than you’d like if PlayStation raises the cost of PlayStation Plus or you wish to downgrade your PlayStation Plus membership to a cheaper tier.
You can turn off the auto-renewal for PlayStation Plus:
- Go on ‘Settings’ in your console,
- then click on ‘Users and Accounts’ section,
- then ‘Payment and Subscriptions’, followed by subscriptions.
- Select PlayStation Plus and choose to cancel your subscription.
Using a service like ScribePay can alert you in advance of any price rises or renewals, and remind you that your PlayStation Plus subscription is ongoing.
Can PlayStation Plus Subscription be shared?
Yes, you can share a PlayStation Plus subscription with other members of your household using your primary console.
As long as you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber, other profiles on your PlayStation console will be able to use certain PlayStation Plus features, such as online multiplayer, playing downloaded games purchased with exclusive discounts as well as downloaded monthly Plus games, access to PlayStation Plus Collection games (if using a PS5 console), Game Catalogue games, and Classics Catalogue games with a relevant PlayStation Plus membership.
How do you cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription?
To cancel PlayStation Plus:
- Visit the ‘Settings’ section of your PlayStation console
- Select ‘Users and Accounts’
- On the ‘Account’ section, choose ‘Payment and Subscriptions’
- Navigate to ‘Subscriptions’
- Select ‘PlayStation Plus’
- Select ‘Cancel Subscription’
- On the next screen where it asks ‘Are you sure?’, select ‘Confirm Cancellation’
Your PlayStation Plus subscription won’t end immediately. It will end the day before it was due to renew, so you may be able to continue using it for a short while.
Note that this process may vary slightly if you cancel PlayStation Plus using the PlayStation app, PlayStation 4 console, or the PlayStation website.
Can you cancel PlayStation Plus anytime?
Yes, you can cancel PlayStation Plus at any time. Unless you cancel within the 14-day cancellation period, you will not receive a refund and the service will continue until the date the next payment is due, when the service will then end.
If you are worried you might forget to cancel your free trial subscription and end up with unwanted charges, the ScribePay app can help. We can effectively manage your subscriptions and free trials for you, relieving you of stress and helping you save money with unwanted or forgotten subscriptions.
How can ScribePay help cancel your subscription?
If you signed up for PlayStation Plus using ScribePay, you can stop the payment in just a few clicks of the ScribePay app – even if you’ve forgotten your PlayStation Plus email address.
- Select PlayStation Plus subscription
- Payment will be blocked (if you change your mind you can always unblock it).
Will PlayStation Plus refund your money?
Unless you cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription and request a refund within the 14 days stipulated in their cancellation policy, you will not receive a refund and it will only cancel the renewal of your PlayStation Plus subscription. You will still be able to continue to use all membership benefits associated with the PlayStation Plus membership tier you purchased until the end of the current subscription period.
If you do cancel within the 14 day cancellation window and request a refund, you will be refunded the full amount of the subscription you purchased minus any days you have already used. This may appear as two separate transactions – one full refund to your PlayStation wallet of the full subscription cost originally paid and a second debit for the charge for the period the PlayStation Plus service was used.
