Even if you hate subscriptions, PlayStation Plus is worth paying for

It took a little while for PlayStation’s gaming subscription service to really become fully fleshed out, with years of slight alterations and changes to its library, accessibility, and cadence. However, its latest iteration, a couple of years on now, has proven a successful and worthwhile endeavor for all kinds of gamers.

I’ve been using the service for some time now, and there hasn’t been a time when I haven’t been able to find something I’ve wanted to play. With its myriad perks, PlayStation Plus is absolutely worth it, whether you prefer solo adventures or online co-op play, whether you like sports, action, horror, or imaginative indie games. There is something for everyone. Here’s why you should sign up.

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Large catalog of games to explore

New and old titles across genres

The most compelling aspect of PlayStation Plus is the vast catalog of games you’ll get access to if you’re a subscriber to the Extra or Premium tier (the Essential Tier, the lowest one, doesn’t afford you the catalog, unfortunately). There are hundreds of games available, including popular PS5 titles and classic PS4 offerings. There is enough to keep you busy for a long time. As of this writing, some of the top billing games include Ghosts of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Returnal, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Older favorites, like The Last of Us Part One and rebooted Tomb Raider titles are also available alongside fun indie games like Rain World and Dredge. There are character-driven stories like Life is Strange and plenty of Souls-like options as well.

All of that is to say there are a lot of options for fans of all genres, and plenty of titles that don’t require you to go online and play with and against other people. Having the catalog available also lets you test out and experiment with games you might not either investigate and discover titles that may have passed you by.

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A subscription that’s actually reasonably priced

Enjoying a handful of games will make it worth it

PlayStation plus isn’t exactly cheap, but considering what you get in return and how much the usual costs of games are, you’ll start to see there is a lot of value to be had. It’s not hard to go through a few full games and get your money back on the subscription. The games you are able to play may cost anywhere from $10 up to $50; if you’re playing just one a month, you’re going to get your money’s worth. Even though the games aren’t heading into service anytime soon after release, you’re still going to get access to a lot of popular titles.

While it’s not frequent, there are a couple of times during the year when the subscriptions go on sale. And because they stack, and new ones activate once the current subscription expires, you can snatch up a subscription when it’s on sale instead of paying full price closer to your subscription end date. You can easily end up saving 25% of the cost if you plan ahead and buy a subscription when it’s on sale, which isn’t something you can do with most subscription services.

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Free games and exclusive discounts

The sale price is often right

Depending on the games, one of the main draws of a PS Plus membership is a monthly gift of three free games. These offerings tend to vary greatly, with different genres available, but there is usually at least one title that’s pretty popular. This month, that title is definitely God of War Ragnarök. Some months the slate is not as compelling, but three free titles that you can add to your library and play at your leisure is a good deal.

Another worthy perk of a PS Plus subscription is the many exclusive sales and discounts afforded to members. There are frequent sales throughout the year, allowing gamers to wait until the titles they seek get a nice discounted price. While sale prices tend to line up across big retailers (Amazon and Best Buy usually offer the same discount at the same time), the price drops in the PS store are exclusive and tend to be pretty tempting.

It’s also a lot easier, for me at least, to simply buy a game from the PS store as a member and then have it automatically downloaded to the console. There is an argument to be made about physical media, but for those seeking convenience, buying and downloading from the PS Store is hard to beat.

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