PlayStation Plus : what’s the use of Essential, Extra and Premium?

The PlayStation Plus subscription is going to kick. Previously, this was a simple subscription that gave you access to a selection of video games that you can play as long as you have an active subscription, as well as the ability to play online. In principle, this does not change, but you will now be presented with more options in the form of Essential, Extra and Premium. These are different subscription types that all have their own monthly amount. But what exactly do those subscriptions offer? You can read that in this overview.

With the renewed PlayStation Plus, Sony wants to have a better answer to what Microsoft is doing with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers. With the Xbox subscription you get monthly access to ‘free’ games, you can stream games to different devices and it is possible to sync your video game progress between Xboxes you play on. Because Sony three PlayStation Plus subscriptions offers, it is not immediately clear which subscription is best for you. You have PlayStation Plus Essentials, Plus Extra and of course Plus Premium.

To keep it simple, let’s start with the difference in prices.

PlayStation Plus Essential

If you are familiar with the old form of PlayStation Plus, then you are also immediately familiar with the Essential subscription. This is basically a new name for the same subscription that you may have already paid monthly or yearly for. With this subscription you get one ‘free’ PlayStation 5 game and two ‘free’ PlayStation 4 games per month. We deliberately put the word free in brackets, since you do pay for it, of course. However, you don’t pay anything extra for it, in addition to the options that you offer with this subscription.

Furthermore, PlayStation Plus Essentials offers access to online multiplayer on the PlayStation 5. Do you often play online games, such as Fall Guys, the multiplayer mode of Ghost of Tsushima or the crazy races of Team Sonic Racing, then you need at least Essentials. You also get exclusive discounts in the PlayStation Store and can take your saves with you in the cloud. If you often play on another PlayStation, with friends or with your partner, it is useful to always have a backup of your saves in the cloud.

PlayStation Plus Extra

The PlayStation Plus Extra subscription is sort of a souped-up version of Essentials. Because in addition to all the features you get from that layer, you also get access to streaming video games. Previously you needed PlayStation Now for this. That was a game streaming service that allowed you to stream a large selection of PS3 and PS4 games to your PS3 and PS4. Extra therefore combines both services, but at a basic level. Yes, you can stream games and play right away, but that’s about it.

This is not necessarily a negative, of course. Because a simple subscription like Plus Extra may just be what you’re looking for. The game streaming service offers access to more than 400 titles already available for the PS4 and PS5. They are also all downloadable, if that is more convenient for you.

PlayStation Plus Premium

Finally, we come to the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. This is not only the most expensive, but also the most comprehensive tier. First, it’s good to know that you get everything Essential and Extra offer. However, Premium also gives you the option to stream PlayStation 3 games to your console. Unfortunately you cannot download these titles; so you need a strong and stable internet connection to do this. Fortunately, this is now well organized in most places in the Netherlands. But you will only be fishing just behind the net…

It doesn’t stop with PS3 games, though. You can also play games that you could previously only play on the PS1, PS2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable). You do not stream these titles, but you download them again. You can choose from more than 340 titles from that old generation of game computers. So are you in the mood for some nostalgia and or are you curious about how a certain game series found its roots, then this is the subscription for you. Playing this game is only half the story as you get access to some modern features.

Some of these old titles offer options like save state and rewind. With a save state you create a saved moment that you immediately return to when you want to (because you died, for example). And with the rewind function you can quickly fix small mistakes and so in principle you don’t have to revert to an old save (state). In addition, a small selection of games will receive a better frame rate and you will see that there are games that have received an improved resolution from Sony.

Finally, as a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, you get access to game trials of new titles, which are playable for a limited time. These are actually extended demos of new games. This way you can try them out briefly (up to two hours) before you take the plunge. If you then purchase the game digitally, you will take your saved save file and trophies with you. Then you don’t have to play that piece again. Now you are fully aware of the main differences between the different layers.