Every month, PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers receive a selection of games to claim and keep as long as their membership is active. This page tracks the current monthly offerings and the full history of past additions so you never miss a title.
PS Plus Essential is the entry-level tier of Sonys subscription service. For a monthly fee, you get three games to claim each month, cloud storage for save files, access to online multiplayer in paid games, and exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store. The monthly games are yours to play as long as you remain subscribed. If your subscription lapses and you renew later, your previously claimed games become accessible again. Essential is the most affordable PS Plus option, below Extra and Premium.
PS Plus Essential pricing varies by region but is typically around $60 per year, $25 per quarter, or $10 per month. Buying annually offers the best value per month. Subscription cards from third-party retailers sometimes offer better prices than buying directly from the PlayStation Store. Keep an eye on our PlayStation deals page for discounted subscription codes. Sony occasionally runs promotional pricing during events like Black Friday and Days of Play.
Essential subscribers receive three games each month, typically a mix of PS5 and PS4 titles. The games are announced on the last Wednesday of the prior month and become available to claim on the first Tuesday of the new month. You have roughly four weeks to claim each batch before they are replaced by the next months selection. Once claimed, the games stay in your library permanently as long as your subscription remains active. It is important to claim them during the window even if you do not plan to play immediately.
Essential provides monthly games, online multiplayer and cloud saves. Extra adds a large on-demand catalog of hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games you can download at any time. Premium includes everything in Extra plus game trials, classic PlayStation titles from PS1, PS2 and PSP, and cloud streaming. Each higher tier includes all benefits of the lower tiers. If you mostly want the monthly games and online play, Essential is sufficient. If you want Netflix-style access to a game library, Extra or Premium is the way to go.
No. Free-to-play games on PlayStation do not require any PS Plus subscription for online multiplayer. Titles like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone and Rocket League can be played online without paying for PS Plus. The subscription is only required for online multiplayer in paid games. This makes Essential a choice for players who want the monthly free games and online access in titles like FIFA, Call of Duty campaign modes, or other paid multiplayer games.
If you cancel your PS Plus Essential subscription, you lose access to all previously claimed monthly games. Your save data is preserved, and if you resubscribe later, you regain access to every game you claimed during previous subscription periods. This means there is value in claiming every monthly game even if you do not intend to play it right away. For games you want to own permanently regardless of subscription status, buying them during PlayStation Store sales is the better approach.
Sony typically offers a mix of indie gems and well-known titles. Past months have included critically acclaimed games like God of War, Sackboy, Returnal, and various EA Sports titles. The quality varies month to month, but over a year the cumulative value easily exceeds the subscription cost. Some months feature day-one additions of new releases. To see if the current months offering appeals to you, browse this page for the latest additions. For even more games, consider upgrading to PS Plus Extra.
