You can keep the games from PlayStation Plus as long as you maintain an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
Ever pondered, do you keep the games from PlayStation Plus? It’s a common question amongst gamers diving into the world of PlayStation. The subscription service offers a plethora of titles, but what happens when your subscription ends?
Understanding how access to these games works is key to maximizing your PlayStation Plus experience. We will explore exactly what happens to those games you’ve downloaded once your subscription lapses, in this short article.
Do You Keep the Games From PlayStation Plus?
Let’s talk about something super cool: PlayStation Plus! It’s like a treasure chest for gamers, giving you access to tons of games. But a big question many people have is, “Do you actually get to keep those games forever?” It’s a bit of a tricky thing, so let’s dive in and explore how it all works.
The Core of PlayStation Plus: A Subscription Service
First, it’s important to remember that PlayStation Plus is a subscription service. Think of it like Netflix or a magazine subscription. You pay a fee regularly (usually every month or year), and in return, you get certain benefits. One of those key benefits is access to a library of games that changes over time. You can download and play these games while your subscription is active, but what happens when you stop paying?
PlayStation Plus Tiers and Game Access
Sony has different PlayStation Plus membership tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Each tier offers a different number and range of benefits, including access to various game libraries. The type of games you have access to will depend on the tier you are subscribed to.
- PlayStation Plus Essential: This tier offers a selection of monthly games that you can add to your library each month. You also get online multiplayer access and cloud storage for game saves.
- PlayStation Plus Extra: This tier includes everything in Essential, plus a catalog of games that you can download and play anytime, similar to the Game Pass of Xbox.
- PlayStation Plus Premium: This is the top tier. It has everything in Essential and Extra, plus access to classic games from older PlayStation consoles, game trials, and cloud streaming of selected titles.
So when we’re talking about whether you keep the games, the specific tier you’re subscribed to greatly matters.
The Monthly Games: Keeping Them (Sort Of)
Let’s focus first on the games offered through the PlayStation Plus Essential tier. These are often called “monthly games” and they are what most people think of when they hear about PlayStation Plus games. Every month, Sony adds a few new games to the service, and they are available for download for a limited amount of time.
Adding Games to Your Library is Key
To access the monthly games, you have to “claim” them and add them to your PlayStation account library during the month they are available. This is a really important step! Just seeing the games listed on PlayStation Store doesn’t mean you have them. You have to go in and actively select “Add to Library” or similar option. Once you’ve added the game to your account library, it’s “yours” to download and play whenever you want – as long as your PlayStation Plus subscription is active.
The Subscription Lock: Understanding How It Works
Here’s the crucial point about these games: you don’t truly own them in the same way you would a game you buy on a disc or from the PlayStation Store. Even though you’ve “added” them to your library, you’re basically getting a license to play them while your subscription is valid. This is because of a digital license system. When you have an active PS Plus subscription, the games you have added to your library are unlocked and can be played. When you stop paying for PS Plus, the games you acquired through it will be locked.
If you decide to resubscribe to the service in the future, any games you previously claimed and that are still on the service will become playable again.
What Happens When Your Subscription Lapses
If your PlayStation Plus subscription ends, you will not be able to play any of the monthly games you previously downloaded. It’s like having a key to a door; when your membership expires, the key stops working, and you can’t open the door anymore. But the door still exists, just that you have lost the key, so if you renew the membership, it will start to work again.
The good news is that the game is not deleted from your account library. When you renew the subscription again, your digital license will be reactivated, and you can pick right back up where you left off. This means all your saved progress is still waiting for you.
The Game Catalog of Extra and Premium: A Different Ballgame
The game library offered with the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium tiers has a different system compared to the monthly games. These aren’t games you claim to keep, even for the duration of your subscription.
Think of it more like a streaming service library. You have access to the games as long as they remain part of the library of the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, and you have an active subscription.
Availability is Dynamic
Games in the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalog come and go. Sony will add some games, while other titles will be removed at regular intervals, similar to how movies and shows on Netflix rotate. This means that the games available for you to play as part of the Extra/Premium service might change from month to month, unlike the monthly Essential games that you keep access to as long as you have an active PS Plus subscription.
Even if a game is in the catalog one month, it might not be there the next. You will usually be notified about game removals a while before so that you can play them before they leave the service.
Downloads and License Checks
You can download games from the Game Catalog to your console as long as they are part of the service, and your subscription is active. Just like with the Essential monthly games, the downloaded games can be played as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
When you try to launch a game from the Extra or Premium library, PlayStation will have to verify that your membership is still active before letting you launch and play. If your subscription lapses, all the games in the catalog will stop working.
Unlike monthly games of the essential tier that are added to your library to keep forever as long as you have an active membership, the Extra and Premium tier games are not added to your library. You have access to them only as long as you have an active subscription and they are available in the service.
What Happens to Saved Data?
Just like the monthly games of the essential tier, all saved data on these games will be maintained on your console. If the same game appears again in the future and you have an active membership, you can continue where you left off.
Cloud saves, if enabled, provide another layer of protection for your save data.
Summary: How to Think About it
To make things simpler, let’s break it down:
PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly Games
- How to get them: Claim them each month while they are available. Add them to your library.
- Do you keep them? Not really, but you have access to play them as long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. If your subscription lapses, the games will be locked. Re-subscribe, and they’ll work again!
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Game Catalog
- How to get them: Download them from the catalog while they are available.
- Do you keep them? No, you have access to play them as long as they are available in the PlayStation Plus library and your subscription is active. They can be removed from the service at any time. If your subscription lapses, you will lose access.
The table below summarizes the core points discussed in this section
| Feature | PlayStation Plus Essential | PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Games Claimed | Games added to library, playable with active subscription | N/A |
| Game Catalog Access | N/A | Access to a catalog of downloadable games, playable with active membership |
| Game Availability | Added monthly, remain part of your library to access as long as you maintain subscription | Catalog games can be added/removed from the service on a monthly basis |
| Ownership of Games | You don’t own the game, but you can access it with an active subscription. | You don’t own the games, just access them with an active subscription. |
| Access if Subscription Expires | Access lost, playable again with renewed subscription | Access lost completely, can only access when you re-subscribe and the game is available on the service. |
It is important to know the difference between the two to understand how the system works and what will happen when you cancel or renew your membership.
Thinking Long Term: Should You Buy Games?
All this talk about subscriptions brings up a good point: should you still buy games? The answer is, it depends on what you value! If you really love a game and want to be sure you can play it anytime, even if your PlayStation Plus lapses or it leaves the Extra/Premium library, buying it is still a good idea.
The Benefits of Buying
- Permanent Access: You own the game, and you can play it any time, no active subscription required.
- Collectible Aspect: Some people like having physical game copies to collect.
- Play on Multiple Accounts: You can sometimes share physical copies with friends who have other PlayStation consoles on the same console family.
The Benefits of Subscribing
- Large Game Library: Access a wide range of games for one fee.
- Cost-Effective: This is especially true if you play a lot of different games or enjoy playing new games frequently.
- Online Multiplayer: For many players, online multiplayer is a big selling point, which requires an active subscription.
The decision between buying and subscribing is a matter of preference and your gaming habits.
A Few Things to Remember
Here are a few important things to keep in mind when thinking about PlayStation Plus games:
- Always add monthly games to your library. Even if you don’t play them right away, you’ll have them to play later if you’re subscribed.
- Be aware of which tier you have. The benefits, game access, and games you can claim differ across the tiers.
- Keep an eye out for games leaving the Extra and Premium catalogs. This can help you decide if you want to prioritize playing certain titles.
- Check the PlayStation Blog or social media for updates. Sony will often announce new games, removals, and changes to the PlayStation Plus service.
Understanding the ins and outs of PlayStation Plus helps make the most out of your subscription. It also makes sure you don’t end up thinking you own games you are only accessing temporarily.
Understanding whether you keep PlayStation Plus games relies on grasping the distinction between monthly games and those within the Extra/Premium game catalogs. You don’t technically “keep” them in the traditional sense. Rather, you get a license to play them while subscribed. Once you understand this, you will be in a much better position to make the best use of the PlayStation Plus membership. So, are you ready to start your gaming adventure with PlayStation Plus?
What Happens to Your GAMES When PS Plus Expires or Cancel
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, you must understand PlayStation Plus games remain available only with an active subscription. If your membership lapses, you lose access to those titles. So, do you keep the games from playstation plus? No, access is contingent on a continuing paid subscription.
You regain access if you resubscribe. It’s vital to remember games aren’t purchased, but rather included with the service.
