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PlayStation Plus is a subscription for Sony console owners featuring three tiers – Essential, Extra, and Premium. While Essential is required for online play, cloud saves and share play features, the Extra and Premium tiers promise a little extra, but are they worth it?
Is the PlayStation Plus Extra Tier Worth It?
While PlayStation Plus Extra advertises two main benefits, they function as only one. The Ubisoft+ library is mixed into the wider Game Catalog, so you’ll still be able to find the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rayman games without heading to the specific Ubisoft section.
The Game Catalog is a decent library of games, however. There’s a wide selection of releases, including many classic titles. A lot of first-party PS4 and PS5 games are included, such as God of War (2018), both Horizon games, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.
The third-party selection is also decent. At the time of writing, Dragon Quest XI, Nier Replicant, the Kingdom Hearts series, and the Resident Evil 2 remake were all available. Many games from the Final Fantasy series are also available, including Final Fantasy VII Remake. While there is some shovelware in there, there is still a lot worth checking out.
You’re not going to get the immediacy of the Xbox Game Pass and its many day-one releases. While there are exceptions, such as Sea of Stars in 2023, the reason to subscribe to this tier is to give yourself an instantly accessible library of older games. It does this well, and the selection includes plenty of games worth playing. That said, the jump in price from Essential may be a little too high.
Is the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier Worth It?
PlayStation Plus Premium adds a ton of extra benefits to the subscription, and for a lower jump in price from Extra than Extra does from Essential. It boasts a library of titles from the PS1, PS2, and PSP, the ability to access limited Game Trials, the ability to stream games, and a library of movies from Sony Pictures.
First of all, let’s take a look at the cloud streaming. This allows you to stream games from Sony’s servers instead of downloading them directly to the system. I haven’t tried out a lot of games from the library this way, but I did test a few and found the input lag to be minimal. There is enough to be noticeable but not enough to make things unplayable. However, it does take a long time for the game to initially load, which is especially noticeable compared to anything running natively from the PS5 itself.
The Classics Catalog seems like a good idea on paper, bringing a bunch of classic games together into one place. However, the library overall feels pretty lacking. While there’s a decent selection of first-party Sony games built into the service, such as the Jak & Daxter series, The Legend of Dragoon, and a few Ape Escape games, it’s barebones elsewhere. Many of the big titles many players associate with the PS1 are missing.
This is because they’re usually available in a remaster collection elsewhere, like Metal Gear Solid, or available on the Extra tier, such as all three numbered PS1 Final Fantasy games. The Classic Catalog does add a selection of PS3 titles, exclusively available through streaming, although these can be difficult to find as they’re buried in everything that can be streamed.
The Game Trials feature is interesting, but it does feel like a weird thing to include exclusively on the highest tier. Game Trials are effectively demos, and charging extra for these doesn’t feel worth it. A newer addition to the Premium tier is the Sony Pictures Core library. This offers subscribers a selection of free movies through Sony’s movie streaming service. However, the library features a lot of poorly reviewed movies, a few sequels without their predecessors, and barely any classics that would make this addition worth it. Some Crunchyroll content can also be accessed.
However, the selection is incredibly limited, featuring exactly five shows. A wider Crunchyroll subscription would have added a lot more value here. Overall, the value of the Premium tier boils down to how much you’re willing to stream games or play a small selection of marginally remastered PS1 games. It feels limited, with both the Classics Catalog and Sony Pictures movies offering a poor selection. It might be best to stick with the Extra tier if all you’re looking for is a large instant catalog.
Monthly PlayStation Plus subscriptions are priced at $9.99 for Essential, $14.99 for Extra, and $17.99 for Premium.
