Since its tiered relaunch, PlayStation Plus has settled into a fairly consistent, sometimes debated, set of offerings within the ecosystem. There are three levels, like most subscription services have these days, and they cater to different players’ needs. The question is, though, what is the value proposition of the highest tier, Premium – is it a way to take money from die-hard gamers, or perhaps where the best value is?
It’s important to remember that the core benefits of PlayStation Plus Essential remain relatively unchanged: online multiplayer access, monthly downloadable games, and a few exclusive discounts. For some, the baseline tier is more than enough. Extra is a tier that introduces the Game Catalogue (a library of PS4 and PS5 titles) – it’s a bit like Sony’s answer to Microsoft’s Game Pass.
If you want to manage your subscription fees on a non-recurring basis, using a PlayStation gift card is a very straightforward method to access these tiers for a set duration and avoid being accidentally charged.
What does Premium add to PlayStation Plus?
The PlayStation Plus Premium tier has a price of £119.99 for a 12-month subscription. Basically, a tenner a month. This has all the benefits of the lower tiers, of course, but has the Classics Catalogue, which allows you to play games from PlayStation’s back catalogue. Other premium features include game trials and cloud streaming.
The Classics Catalogue is what sells it for many, driven by nostalgia. There are the original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, and PS3 era games. Some countries have seen price rises in 2025, but the UK has been spared so far. Harry Potter, Batman, Lost Planet, Metro, Duke Nukem, God of War, and many, many more are just a click away.
Game trials are good for curious gamers who are always looking for the next best thing. A “try before you buy” opportunity can actually save costs too, helping you avoid buying games you don’t actually get a feel for.
Cloud streaming of PS3 titles is certainly interesting, but it’s dependent on good internet. Since gigabit internet is being rolled out more across the UK, it could become more useful as time goes on. It should be noted that it’s not always good to have too much choice, so dipping in and out of Premium can be worthwhile. But, this costs more, at £13.49 a month when rolling.
The value proposition
A key question isn’t so much about whether to get PlayStation Plus in isolation, but whether it’s worth upgrading to. Extra has an annual cost of £99.99, meaning the upgrade is £20 a year more. For the additional perks, it certainly seems to be worth the extra £20 for most people, meaning that the middle tier is particularly bad value.
The Essentials tier isn’t cheap, but is half the annual price of Premium. So the question is, if you only play a small selection of games that you own outright, the Essentials tier might suffice – plus, it still has some exclusive discounts anyway. But, should you want some old classics and new trials, it’s worth jumping over the middle tier and gunning straight for PlayStation Plus Premium.
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