The new PlayStation Plus subscription service is here. The service has a few different tiers with various offerings depending on what you’re willing to spend. The initial catalog for the Extra tier — the service’s best competition to Xbox Game Pass — has about 400 games right now, but only a handful of what you’d consider top-shelf games. New games are already being added, including several back-catalog Assassin’s Creed games and the charming new indie cat game, Stray, which is frankly a must-play.
The most notable PlayStation Plus inclusions so far include:
StrayFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, and FFVII IntergradeGhost of Tsushima: Director’s CutGuardians of the GalaxyDeath Stranding: Director’s CutNBA 2K22ReturnalAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla (and now Black Flag and several others)Spider-Man: Miles MoralesFallout 76Red Dead Redemption 2
There are some notable games on that list, but it also lacks the blockbuster Day 1 vibe of Xbox Game Pass, which has big debuts like Halo Infinite. Extra costs $15 a month, $40 for three months or $100 for a year. (In the UK it’s £11, £32 or £84, respectively, and in Australia it’s AU$19, AU$55 or AU$135.)
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The more expensive Premium tier ($18 or £13.49 a month) also includes download and streaming access to about 500 older games, mostly from pre-PS4 consoles, most of which will run at 60Hz (essentially playing at 60 frames per second). It also includes access to game demos, which allow access to new or high-profile games for a limited time, between one and five hours, depending on the game. You can try games including Horizon: Forbidden West, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and Hot Wheels Unleashed. (Note that in Australia the Premium tier is called Deluxe and costs AU$22 a month.)
One of the better aspects of the new PS Plus is that there are plenty of cult and indie favorites in the Extra/Premium tier. I’m listing a handful of what I think are notable PS4/PS5 games, and I’m soliciting similar suggestions from my colleagues for an update.
Here are my older or lesser-known picks so far:
Disaster Report 4: Summer MemoriesXCOM 2GreedfallUncharted: the Lost LegacyPathfinder: KingmakerPillars of Eternity Tetris Effect Outer Wilds
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And one odd but interesting thing I noticed is that there are a lot of Warhammer games included. I know next to nothing about Warhammer lore, but appreciate that it’s so deep and wide-ranging. And I’ve enjoyed games like Inquisitor (like a sci-fi Diablo) and the recent Chaos Gate (like XCOM with space marines). If you’re interested, the PS Plus list includes:
ChaosbaneSpace Hulk: DeathwingInquisitor Necromunda: Underhive WarsSpace Hulk Tactics
I’ll update this list as more games are added, and as my colleagues remind me of top-tier classics I’ve missed.
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