A great value, in concept
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium arekindalike Xbox Game Pass. you’re able to play a variety of games available in the service’s library you wouldn’t otherwise check out. Games are expensive, and a subscription service can help alleviate that pain. But is PlayStation Plus Extraworth it, and should you upgrade to Premium?
Let’s find out!
What the heckisPlayStation Plus Extra and Premium?
I don’t blame anyone for being confused! There are multiple tiers to PlayStation Plus’ subscription service.
PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium
So isPlayStation Plus Extraworth it? Well, the games library has a wide range of game genres and experiences to choose from. There’s the wholeLife is Strangeseries,NEO: The World Ends with You,the comprehensiveStreet Fighter V: Champion Edition,the open-worldDragon Ball Z Kakarot,and of course PlayStation’s first-party offerings likeSpider-Man: Miles MoralesandHorizon: Forbidden West.You’ll also be able to play major indie darlings likeHaven,Untitled Goose Game,and the recently releasedTchia.PlayStation touts there are hundreds of games available on the service. If you want to save money and don’t mind missing out on playing games on day one, PlayStation Plus Extra is a good option.
PlayStation Plus Premiumis slightly more expensive but it does widen the library even further with streamed PS3 games and downloadable PS1/PSP games that are up-rendered to 4K. With Premium, most PS4 and PS5 games can be streamed to your console, PC, or phone too. You can play forgotten PlayStation franchises likeKillzoneandResistanceon the service, in addition to the beloved PS2Ratchet & Clankgames through streaming. The selection of PS1 games is admittedly brief but it does have some favorites like the originalApe EscapeandTekken 2.Some of the PS1 games even have trophies you can unlock.
The trials fromPlayStation Plus Premiumalso give some value. If you’ve ever considered trying outMarvel’s Midnight Suns,you’re able to play a two-hour trial of the strategy game with PlayStation Plus Premium. Once you purchase the game, you can then begin where you left off. But really,that’s about itif you don’t want to play the retro titles.
Are PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium worth the price?
PlayStation Plus Premiumis arguably not worth the price. The selection of PS1 games is lackluster and lacks big titles likeMetal Gear Solid,the originalCrash Bandicoot,andSpyro the Dragontrilogies, and the best entry of the PS1Tekkengames:Tekken 3! It is getting better with inclusions likeThe Legend of DragoonandWorms: Armageddon,but they come few and far between, similar to the drip-feed formula of Switch Online.
The quality of streamed games can vary as well, depending on your connection. It does get spotty from time to time even with the best internet, and with key precision genres like fighting games, that is certainly a no-go.
PlayStation Plus Extrahas a good selection overall, but it does pale in comparison to Xbox Game Pass. While Microsoft offers all its first-party titles on day one, you’ll have to wait a long time for PlayStation to offer their games to their subscription service, if that even happens at all.Horizon Forbidden Westwas a nice surprise in February, but it took nearly a year to make it to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium. It’s inconsistent, however, asRatchet & Clank: Rift Apartis still not available on the service, a year and a half later.
Meanwhile,Hi-Fi Rushwas announced and immediately released on Game Pass to great acclaim. There are a few select games that have launched day-and-date with PlayStation Plus likeTchiaandStray,but they come far between and aren’t as high-budget asHalo InfiniteorGears 5.
For dedicated PlayStation fans though who love to check out the cool third-party titles on the service or go back to old franchises likeRatchet & Clank,PlayStation Plus Extra is certainly worth it. You may want to skip Premium unless the PS1 and PSP classics library expands greatly.
