Review · Gaming & entertainment
PlayStation Plus review
Sony's membership for PS5 and PS4, sold in Essential, Extra and Premium tiers with monthly games, a Game Catalog and cloud streaming.
By the DBotMaker research desk · Updated November 12, 2026
- Capabilities (40%)
- 9.0
- Ease of setup (30%)
- 8.6
- Value (30%)
- 8.4
PlayStation Plus is second because it is the only way to get a large rotating library on a PS5 or PS4. Sony sells three tiers. Essential covers Monthly Games, online multiplayer, exclusive discounts, cloud storage and Share Play. Extra adds the Game Catalog, which Sony describes as an on-demand library of hundreds of games, plus Ubisoft+ Classics. Premium adds the Classics Catalog, Game Trials, PS5 cloud streaming to the console and PlayStation Portal, and the Sony Pictures Catalog with up to 100 movies. Each tier comes in 1, 3 and 12 month plans, and the 12-month plans are listed at a discount of 33% or more against paying monthly. The trade-offs are that it only works on PlayStation hardware and the best extras sit in Premium. Sony's US page lists Essential at $10.99 a month or $79.99 for 12 months.
Who it is for
PS5 and PS4 owners
Price
Essential from $10.99 per month or $79.99 per 12 months.
3-Month Plan $27.99 every 3 months 1-Month Plan $10.99 every month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.
Key features
- Game Catalog described as an on-demand library of hundreds of games
- Monthly Games to add to your collection on every tier
- Ubisoft+ Classics included on Extra and Premium
- Premium adds the Classics Catalog, Game Trials and PS5 cloud streaming
- Premium includes the Sony Pictures Catalog of up to 100 movies
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: Monthly games and online multiplayer included from the Essential tier
- Strength: Premium streams PS5 games to the console and PlayStation Portal
- Strength: 1, 3 and 12 month plans on every tier
- Weakness: Only works on PlayStation hardware
- Weakness: Classics, trials and cloud streaming need the top Premium tier
- Weakness: Extra and Premium cost more than Essential, which has no Game Catalog
Key facts
- Tiers: Essential, Extra and Premium
- Plan lengths: 1, 3 and 12 months
- Game Catalog: Extra and Premium
- Cloud streaming: Premium, to PS5 and PlayStation Portal
- Movies: Up to 100 in the Sony Pictures Catalog (Premium)
Where it ranks
PlayStation Plus is No. 2 in our Best Game Subscription Services verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit playstation.com · Questions or corrections: editorial@dbotmaker.io