Online gaming subscriptions have always been a point of debate among gamers. Sony’s PS Plus Essential service requires a payment to play online, but it makes up for it by offering free games each month that stay in the library as long as the subscription is active. Unlike the Extra or Premium tiers, these games don’t disappear from your library.
The yearly PS Plus Essential subscription costs £59.99/$79.99 and includes additional perks like cloud saves, special discounts, and bonus content for free-to-play titles. While the price might seem steep, the value proposition has been impressive this year.
2025 Games So Far
In just the first four months of 2025, subscribers have gained access to twelve games:
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5)
- RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5)
- Suicide Squad (PS5)
- PAYDAY 3 (PS5)
- High on Life (PS5, PS4)
- Sonic Colors Ultimate (PS5, PS4)
- The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (PS5, PS4)
- TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection (PS5, PS4)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (PS5, PS4)
- Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5, PS4)
- Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker’s Memory (PS4)
- Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (PS4)
Exceptional Value Calculation
Push Square calculated the current PS Store prices for these games, and even with ongoing discounts, the total exceeds $350 – more than four times the annual subscription cost. This figure becomes even more impressive considering eight months of games are still coming.
Obviously not every title appeals to all players, and some may have purchased certain games already, reducing personal value. However, Sony’s offering stands out favorably compared to competing services like Xbox Game Pass Core, which primarily features a limited selection of older games.
The main question now is whether Sony can keep up this pace for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
