Hey friend! If you‘re a PlayStation gamer, you may be wondering what the deal is with Sony‘s new PlayStation Plus Extra subscription. Specifically, how many free games does it actually give you access to?
As a fellow gamer and PlayStation enthusiast, I‘ve done a deep dive on what you get with a PS Plus Extra membership. In this guide, I‘ll walk you through all the details so you can decide if it‘s worth it for you.
Let‘s jump in!
What is PlayStation Plus Extra?
First, a super quick PS Plus recap. Sony revamped their PlayStation Plus service in June 2022 to have 3 tiers:
- Essential – Base tier with online play, cloud saves, monthly games.
- Extra – Essential perks plus a catalog of 400+ PS4/PS5 downloadable games.
- Premium – Extra perks plus game streaming, classic games, and time-limited game trials.
For this guide, we‘re focused specifically on PlayStation Plus Extra. This mid-tier option runs $59.99 USD yearly and gives you:
- All the Essential tier benefits like online multiplayer, exclusive discounts, etc.
- Access to an expanding catalog of downloadable PS4 and PS5 games
It‘s that downloadable game catalog that really sweetens the deal. Let‘s break down what it includes.
The PlayStation Plus Extra Game Catalog
The core perk of PS Plus Extra is access to a library of over 400 digital games to download and play.
As of February 2023, the official catalog count sits at around 405 PS4 and PS5 games available.
This includes major first-party PlayStation releases like:
- Demon‘s Souls
- Returnal
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Death Stranding
- Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
And big third-party AAA titles such as:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Mortal Kombat 11
- NBA 2K23
- Resident Evil Village
- Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla
- Borderlands 3
Plus well-received indie games like:
- Celeste
- Hollow Knight
- Slay the Spire
- Dead Cells
- The Artful Escape
And beloved retro and classic franchises, including:
- Bioshock
- Tomb Raider
- Batman: Arkham
- Castlevania
- Metal Gear Solid
- Fallout
| Category | # of Games |
|---|---|
| First-Party (Sony) | ~75 |
| Third-Party AAA | ~125 |
| Indie | ~100 |
| Retro/Classic | ~105 |
| Total | ~405 |
And new titles get added regularly each month! The catalog size continues to grow over time.
Standout Games in the Catalog
While 405+ games is a ton, let‘s call out some of the biggest standouts currently available in the Extra catalog:
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Rockstar‘s iconic open-world western epic. The expansive frontier world and dramatic story are not to be missed.
Ghost of Tsushima – Sucker Punch‘s gorgeous samurai adventure set in feudal Japan. Master the way of the sword as one of the last surviving samurai.
Death Stranding – Hike across the supernatural post-apocalypse as Sam Bridges in this unique title from Kojima Productions.
Demon‘s Souls – The classic dark fantasy RPG rebuilt from the ground up exclusively for PS5. This started the Souls craze and still impresses.
Returnal – Fight to escape an ever-changing alien planet in this third-person roguelike shooter for PS5.
Marvel‘s Guardians of the Galaxy – Step into Star-Lord‘s jet boots and lead the Guardians on a wild ride across the cosmos in this action-adventure.
Resident Evil Village – The latest horror-survival entry in Capcom‘s classic series. Fight lycans, vampires and more as Ethan Winters.
NBA 2K23 – The latest release in 2K‘s acclaimed professional basketball sim series. Updated rosters and refined gameplay.
I‘m really just scratching the surface here. The catalog spans decades of gaming history across almost every genre – there‘s something for everyone.
Personally, I‘m pumped to replay classics like the Batman: Arkham series and finally check out PS5 exclusives like Returnal.
How Many Games Can You Download?
A common question is how many of these games you can download and play simultaneously as an Extra subscriber.
The good news is there‘s no set limit on how many catalog titles you can have installed at once. You‘re only constrained by your console‘s storage capacity.
PS4 titles average around 30-80 GB each. PS5 games take up about 50-100 GB or more.
So depending on your storage, you‘ll likely be able to fit somewhere between 5-10 of the larger next-gen games installed at the same time.
Of course, you can always delete and re-download any catalog game whenever you want. I like to think of the service like an all-you-can-play game buffet – take what you want now and grab something else later!
What About the Monthly Games?
In addition to the instant game catalog, PlayStation Plus Extra members still get access to monthly downloadable games just like the Essential tier.
Typically, Sony gives subscribers 2-3 PS4 and PS5 games each month to keep as long as you remain a PlayStation Plus member.
Over 12 months, that tallies up to an additional 24-36 games on top of the 400+ catalog.
Some recent PS Plus monthly offerings have included:
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn‘s acclaimed single-player Star Wars adventure.
A Plague Tale: Innocence – A grim medieval tale following two children escaping the Inquisition and hordes of plague rats.
Battlefield 2042 – The latest entry in EA‘s massive military FPS franchise, now with full cross-play support.
Tony Hawk‘s Pro Skater 1 + 2 – The fan-favorite skating series returns with remade versions of the first two classics.
So the monthly additions are a nice perk that essentially gives you bonus games for being an Extra subscriber.
What About Games Leaving the Service?
Now for a bit of bad news. While new games are frequently added to the Extra catalog, titles do get cycled out periodically as well.
Some of the bigger games that have left the service recently include:
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Removed in January 2023 after over 2 years available.
Marvel‘s Spider-Man – Left in October 2022 before becoming a monthly PS Plus game.
Ghost of Tsushima – Leaves on May 16, 2023 after nearly 1 year in the catalog.
Losing access to big third-party games like Red Dead 2 stings. But major PlayStation Studios releases like Demon‘s Souls and Returnal will likely stay for the foreseeable future.
My advice is to jump on any must-play catalog titles ASAP in case they get rotated out down the road.
Is PlayStation Plus Extra Worth It?
At $59.99 annually, PlayStation Plus Extra gives you:
- Instant access to a 400+ game catalog
- 24-36 monthly downloadable games
- All the base PS Plus Essential perks
Adding up the retail value of all these games, you‘re looking at thousands of dollars worth of content.
In my opinion, the variety and sheer volume of games alone makes Extra a fantastic value for PlayStation gamers.
Having so many titles from different eras and genres available on-demand is a dream come true for enthusiasts like myself. It lets you cost-effectively explore and experience the full breadth of PlayStation gaming.
Sure, the occasional frustration of losing certain third-party games stings. But with new additions monthly, there‘s always something fresh to play. For me, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
So if you love gaming and want access to a huge library of PlayStation titles, I think the Extra tier is easily worth the reasonable $60 annual fee.
But what do you think? Is a PlayStation Plus Extra membership worth it for you? Let me know! I‘m always down to chat gaming and subscriptions.
In Summary
Here‘s a quick recap of what you get with a PlayStation Plus Extra subscription:
- Access to an expanding catalog of 400+ PS4 and PS5 games to freely download
- 2-3 monthly downloadable games (24-36 per year) on top of the catalog
- No limits on how many games you can have installed simultaneously
- All the benefits of the Essential membership tier
- Major Sony first-party games tend to stay for a long time
- Big third-party games get removed periodically
Overall, I think the huge on-demand game library alone makes Extra a terrific value for $59.99 annually. It lets you experience the full range of PlayStation gaming for an affordable price.
But ultimately, you‘ve got to weigh the pros and cons and decide if it fits your budget and gaming needs.
Either way, thanks for reading! I hope this deep dive helped explain exactly what you get with a PlayStation Plus Extra membership. Game on!
