PlayStation Plus is being expanded to multiple tiers. So, how does the Essential, Extra, Deluxe and Premium versions of the subscription service compare to the original?
You can find out in this versus guide from Seeking Tech.
Quick Summary
The original PlayStation Plus is the same as PlayStation Plus Essential as you will get monthly games, online multiplayer access, PS Plus Collection and PS5 cloud save backups. In June 2022, the standard PlayStation Plus will be converted over to PlayStation Plus Essential.
PlayStation Plus Extra comes with everything from the original Plus and Essential while also adding an expanded catalog of downloadable PS4 and PS5 games.
PlayStation Plus Deluxe, which will only be available in select regions, comes with all the benefits of Plus, Plus Essentials and Plus Extras. You will also get access to game trials as well as downloadable PS1, PS2 and PSP games.
PlayStation Plus Premium has all the benefits as the other PlayStation Plus tiers. It is also the only version to adds cloud streaming for PS1, PS2, PSP, PS3 and PS4 games.
PlayStation Plus vs. PlayStation Plus Essential vs. PlayStation Plus Extra vs. PlayStation Plus Deluxe vs. PlayStation Plus Premium Comparison Chart
You can take a look at our comparison table for the original PlayStation Plus as well as the new PlayStation Plus tiers below.
| PlayStation Plus | PlayStation Plus Essential | PlayStation Plus Extra | PlayStation Plus Deluxe | PlayStation Plus Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online multiplayer access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud storage for PS5 save files | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly downloadable games | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time-limited game trials | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| PlayStation Plus Collection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS1 downloadable games catalog | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS2 downloadable games catalog | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS3 downloadable games catalog | No | No | No | No | No |
| Curated PSP downloadable games catalog | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS4 downloadable games catalog | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS5 downloadable games catalog | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Curated PS1 cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Curated PS2 cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Curated PS3 cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Curated PSP cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Curated PS4 cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Curated PS5 cloud streaming games catalog | No | No | No | No | No |
Monthly Games
As with the original PlayStation Plus, the new Essential, Extra, Deluxe and Premium tiers will also offer at least two downloadable games every month.
You can play these software releases as long as you are an active member for any version of the PlayStation Plus.
If you have been a subscriber to PlayStation Plus for a very long time, then you may have gotten PS3, PSP and Vita games from the service in the past. To play these on your older PlayStation systems, you will still need to stay subscribed to any of the available Plus tiers.
To find out more about how PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, PlayStation Plus Deluxe and PlayStation Plus Premium impact the PS3, PSP and Vita systems, you can take a look at this article.
Online Multiplayer Access
Just like the original PlayStation Plus, the new versions are required in order to play online multiplayer for a vast majority of games on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
The exceptions include free-to-play releases like Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone, Fortnite and Genshin Impact. For Final Fantasy XIV, you also don’t need to subscribe to a PlayStation Plus tier.
Cloud Storage for PS5 Save Files
In order to back up your save files for PlayStation 5 games, you will still need a PlayStation Plus membership.
For PS4 save files, you are able to back up these data through an USB storage device.
PS Plus Collection
The original PlayStation Plus, along with PlayStation Plus Essential, still come with the PlayStation Plus Collection, which is a list of downloadable PS4 games that you can play on PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.
This perk is exclusive to owners of a PS5 system.
Game Trials
The PlayStation Plus Deluxe and PlayStation Plus Premium are the only two subscriptions to offer game trials that will let your try out select games for a limited amount of time.
Downloadable Games Catalog
The more expensive versions of the PlayStation Plus will offer curated lists of downloadable games.
With PlayStation Plus Extra, you are able to download and play PS4 and PS5 games.
With PlayStation Plus Deluxe and PlayStation Plus Premium, you can download and play PS1, PS2, PSP, PS4 and PS5 games.
Cloud Streaming Games Catalog
The PlayStation Plus Premium is the only version of the service that will allow you to play games over cloud streaming. Along with the PS1, PS2, PSP, PS4 and PS5 games, you will also be able to stream PS3 games.
What will happen to the original PlayStation Plus?
Once the new PlayStation Plus versions are made available, the original PlayStation Plus will be converted over to PlayStation Plus Essential as the two services are the same.