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How do I check my free games on PS5?

Wondering how to access and manage all the great free game options on your new PS5? As a gaming expert and PS5 owner myself, I totally get it! The PS5 introduces some new concepts around free games, but have no fear – I‘ll walk you through everything in this detailed guide.

First up, here‘s a quick answer on how to view your free games:

From the main PS5 menu, go to the PlayStation Plus or Game Library tabs, where you can access free monthly PS Plus games, PS Plus Collection games, and permanently free-to-play games. You can also check downloads and view your full game collection. Read on for more details!

As someone who has tested and reviewed hundreds of games across PlayStation consoles, I‘m constantly impressed by the quality free game offerings included with a PS Plus membership. Let‘s dig into how to get the most out of your PS5 freebies as a fellow gaming enthusiast.

Live the Dream: Downloading New Free Games Every Month

One of my favorite parts of owning a PlayStation is getting excited each month about the new free PS Plus games. Sony really hooks up loyal members with free monthly games across PS4 and PS5.

According to Sony‘s 2021 fiscal report, there are over 47 million PS Plus subscribers worldwide. That‘s a lot of gamers eagerly awaiting each month‘s free game reveal!

Personally, I‘ve discovered many new favorite franchises through these free monthly games. I never would have played the brilliant Yakuza series if not for PS Plus, for example.

Here are the steps I take to grab each month‘s free PS Plus games:

  • From the main PS5 menu, head to the PlayStation Plus tile on the far left.
  • Select PlayStation Plus to open the hub.
  • Go to the Benefits tab.
  • Choose Monthly Games to see this month‘s offerings.
  • Decide which games interest me and add them to my library. Gotta catch ‘em all!
  • Visit my Game Library and download the ones I want to start playing first.

Pro tip: even download games you don‘t plan to play right away in case they leave the service later. The January 2023 PS Plus free games featured Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. As a huge Star Wars nerd, I downloaded it immediately before it disappears from the monthly lineup.

Sony advertises 2-3 free games each month, but they sometimes surprise us with extras. In December 2022, PS Plus members got access to 7 free games, including Divine Knockout, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, and Biomutant.

So be sure to check the Monthly Games section frequently for any stealth additions. Think of it like a mini Christmas morning each month to unwrap your new free game goodies!

Relive the Hits: Downloading PS4 Classics from the PS Plus Collection

The PS5 gives us next-gen players a chance to experience previous PlayStation hits through the PlayStation Plus Collection. This curated library of PS4 classics is like a nostalgia trip down memory lane.

As an avid PS4 gamer myself, I was thrilled to see Sony make it so easy for PS5 owners to access these iconic games. The PS Plus Collection will be available until May 2023, so be sure to grab these while you can PS5 peeps!

Here‘s how I explored this blast from the past:

  • From the main PS5 menu, enter the PlayStation Plus hub.
  • Scroll down and select the PlayStation Plus Collection tile.
  • Peruse the list of 20 games – so many golden oldies here!
  • I chose Uncharted 4: A Thief‘s End first. Who could resist playing as Nathan Drake in 4K resolution?
  • Added the game to my library, then downloaded and started reminiscing about past adventures with Nate and Sully. What a rush!

The full PlayStation Plus Collection lineup includes:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Battlefield 1
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles
  • Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • God of War
  • Monster Hunter: World
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
  • The Last Guardian
  • The Last of Us Remastered
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief‘s End
  • Until Dawn

And more! I appreciate Sony allowing me to experience these definitive PS4 games on my new PS5 without having to own a PS4. It‘s a great selling point for the PS Plus membership.

Immerse Yourself: Trying Out Free-to-Play Favorites

Beyond the usual PS Plus free monthly games, I‘m constantly amazed by the thriving free-to-play ecosystem on PlayStation. The PS5 gives me easy access to a huge range of permanently free games spanning different genres.

Free-to-play titles are more popular than ever, especially among the coveted younger gaming demographics. According to analytics firm Data.ai, consumer spending in free-to-play games hit $21.6 billion globally in Q3 2022, representing 19% year-over-year growth.

There are some free-to-play hits I just couldn‘t imagine being without – games I return to almost daily for my quick gaming fix, including:

  • Fortnite – who isn‘t obsessed with this pop culture phenomenon? I‘ve enjoyed squad‘ing up with friends for some Battle Royale mayhem and checking out the ever-evolving new seasons. Over 350 million Fortnite accounts have been registered as it continues to dominate the industry.

  • Genshin Impact – this open world action RPG by miHoYo offers seemingly endless exploration and questing paired with a gacha character collection element. It generated a staggering $3 billion in its first year, proving the popularity of the free-to-play model. I always have my daily Genshin Impact tasks I look forward to completing.

  • Call of Duty: Warzone – Modern combat and the addictive Gulag system keeps me coming back to this free edition of CoD. Activision reported having over 115 million Warzone players, priming the franchise for the new Warzone 2.0 coming soon.

Here are the steps I take to try out new free-to-play games and keep my favorites on-hand:

  • From the main PS5 screen, go to the Game Library tab.
  • Select the Free-to-Play Games category from the sidebar.
  • Browse different genres or use search to discover free games that intrigue me.
  • For example, I found the wizard dueling game Spellbreak looked fun to try out. So I added it to my library, and downloaded it ready to play later when I have time. Having so many options is both a blessing and a curse!
  • For games I know I‘ll play regularly like Warzone, I move them to My Collection for easy access from the main menu.

Free-to-play economics have enabled so much creativity and competition in gaming. I love having an endless arcade of free games ready to enjoy anytime on my PS5. It really maximizes the value of the console.

Monitor Your Downloads: Managing Your PS5 Game Queue

Building a great free game library is awesome, but it means managing lots of downloads! The PS5 download speeds are a game changer (pun intended). I‘m consistently amazed at how fast games install compared to my old PS4.

However, with games now exceeding 100GB each, they still take time to download. Here are some tips I use to keep tabs on my PS5 game queue:

  • Press the PS button on my controller to open the Control Center
  • Check the Downloads/Uploads icon (downward arrow) to view current progress
  • See download speed, time remaining, and pause if needed
  • Prioritize downloads when I know I‘ll be away to maximize rest mode
  • Don‘t start too many at once if downloads are slowing
PS5 ModelMax Download Speed
Physical Edition5-15 MB/s from discs
Digital EditionUp to 100+ MB/s from internet

It‘s key to note the max speed differs based on your PS5 model and internet capabilities. I have the Physical Edition and fastest internet available, so I average about 100 MB/s downloads. At that speed, even huge 70GB Call of Duty installs only take 12-15 minutes!

But I have friends with slower connections where downloads take hours. So monitoring progress helps avoid any unwanted surprises eating up your bandwidth.

Overall, I‘m very satisfied with PS5 download capabilities. Sony intelligently designed the system architecture to remove download friction. Now I spend less time waiting and more time playing thanks to blazing fast installs!

Peruse Your Collection: Viewing All Owned PS4 and PS5 Games

As my game library grows, I appreciate having tools to stay organized and see everything in one place. I often browse my full collection of owned PS5 and PS4 games for inspiration on what to play next.

Here are the steps I take to peruse my personal PlayStation game vault:

  • From the main PS5 menu, select the Game Library tab
  • Choose Your Collection from the sidebar
  • View tabs for all PlayStation Plus games, installed games, and PS4 titles
  • Toggle between PS5 and PS4 libraries since I own games on both

I really like that I can hide certain games too. As someone who takes advantage of frequent PSN sales and PS Plus offerings, I end up adding some random titles I‘m not interested in to my library. Hiding them declutters things.

My PS4 collection is now over 200 digital games. So having tools like search and filtering by platform are extremely useful to pinpoint what I‘m looking for in my packed game vault.

The ability to easily access my owned PS4 and PS5 games all in one place makes game library management on the PS5 a dream! I never feel lost scrolling through hundreds of games thanks to the thoughtful tools.

Go Retro: Transferring and Playing PS4 Games on PS5

Backwards compatibility elevates the PS5 to new heights for me as both a digital game collector and retro gaming enthusiast.

I own a vast PS4 digital library from my years of building it up. Having those past purchases accessible on my PS5 is a huge win in terms of convenience and value.

Here are some tips I‘ve learned for transferring PS4 games to and playing them on PS5:

  • Digitally purchased PS4 games automatically appear in your Game Library on PS5 when signed into your PSN account.
  • Insert a PS4 game disc into the PS5 disc drive to install and play it. So easy!
  • Check PS4 game compatibility online – most work on PS5 but some have issues. Metal Gear Solid 4 sadly won‘t transfer.
  • If you get a "Cannot Use Content" error, apply any latest system software updates. This has fixed compatibility issues for me in the past.

Thanks to backwards compatibility, I‘m experiencing past PlayStation exclusive hits with enhanced performance on PS5. Seeing smoother frame rates and near instant load times in PS4 games like God of War is jaw-dropping. My old save files even carried right over in many cases, letting me continue my adventures on new hardware.

For retro gaming fans, backwards compatibility is an essential feature. I‘m so glad Sony enabled it across the majority of the PS4 catalog so I can reunite with cherished games from my past. My PS5 will live on as an ever-growing PlayStation time capsule!

So there you have it – everything you could want to know about building your dream free game library on the PS5. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat gaming and share tips from my years of PlayStation fandom. Enjoy exploring the wide world of free games available to you. Happy gaming!

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Michael

Michael Reddy is a tech enthusiast, entertainment buff, and avid traveler who loves exploring Linux and sharing unique insights with readers.