Do you keep PlayStation Plus Premium games?

With PlayStation Plus Premium, you gain access to hundreds of video games. So, can you keep the titles that you get from this subscription service? You can find out in this article from Seeking Tech.

Before we begin, it is important to note that the PlayStation Plus Premium games are categorized into separate catalogs. Each of these categories has its own licensing rules.

Monthly Games Catalog

The monthly games catalog composes of a handful of titles that you can redeem and download if you are subscribe to the Essential, Extra, Deluxe or Premium tier of PlayStation Plus.

If you managed to redeem monthly games before they are removed from the catalog, then you are able to keep playing them as long as you remain subscribed to any of the aforementioned PS+ plans.

If you unsubscribed, then you will lose access to these titles unless you renew your membership again.

The PlayStation Plus Collection

For the first couple of years in the PlayStation 5 lifespan, Sony gave out 20 PS4 games that can only be downloaded from the PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition console. This Essential, Extra, Deluxe and Premium benefit has been removed on May 9, 2023.

This collection works the same way as monthly games. If you managed to redeem these games before they were removed from the service, then you can keep playing them as long as you stay a member to any of the PlayStation Plus plans.

Game Catalog

The Game Catalog gives you access to an additional set of games that can be downloaded and played on the PlayStation 4 and/or PlayStation 5.

These titles actually come with an expiration date. Before they expire, you should be able to keep playing them as long as you remain a member of PlayStation Plus Extra, Deluxe or Premium.

Once the expiration date arrives, however, you will lose access to these titles even if you stayed subscribed to the appropriate tier.

Classics Catalog

There are two types of subcategories in the Classics Catalog.

The first group together the PS1, PS2, PSP as well as games that have been remastered for the PS4/PS5. These games have expiration dates. Once one of the titles expires, you won’t be able to play then even if you stay subscribed to PlayStation Plus Deluxe or PlayStation Plus Premium.

The other group from the Classics Catalog is PS3 games, which is exclusive to the Premium plan. These titles can only be streamed. You can still play them as long as you remain a member to the highest PlayStation Plus tier as long as the expiration date hasn’t been reached.

Is the PlayStation Store $100 Gift Card + Free Sony Headphones bundle worth it?

When looking for a PlayStation Store Gift Card at Best Buy, you may notice the PlayStation Store $100 Gift Card + Free Sony Headphones bundle. So, is this product worth purchasing if you are looking to add funds to your PlayStation Store wallet?

You can find out in this review article at Seeking Tech.

About $100 PlayStation Store Gift Card

The first part of this bundle is the PlayStation Store Gift Card, which lets you add $100 to the digital wallet of your PlayStation Network account. You can then use the funds to purchase digital games, add-on DLC packs, subscription as well as other content from the PlayStation Store.

It is important to note that, if you purchase the bundle online from Best Buy, then the voucher won’t be sent to you via email. Instead, the code can only be found in a physical card from inside the packaging box.

You then need to scratch off the code and then manually input the string of letters and numbers into the redemption page on the PlayStation Store in order to add $100 funds to your PSN account.

So, if you are in a hurry trying to add funds to your PSN account, then buying this bundle online is not the fastest option. If you don’t mind waiting, however, then you will get a bonus gift.

About the free Sony Headphones

The free headphones that comes with the bundle is the black Sony MDR-E9LP Earphone. This accessory can be used with any devices that have an audio jack, including the DualShock 4, DualSense, PlayStation VR1 and PlayStation VR2.

Based on our experience, we wouldn’t recommend getting this as a standalone product as it feels cheaply made and seems to be very easy to break. It is also uncomfortable for us to wear as we prefer the in-ear earphones that have become more common in recent years.

The sound quality is also underwhelming as we definitely notice the tinny output with the occasional crackle.

As a result, we don’t recommend using the MDR-E9LP as your primary listening device for games, videos or audio. However, they should be serviceable as a temporary solution if your main headset, headphones or earbuds ends up breaking.

In terms of pricing, you can find the current price tag for the Sony MDR-E9LP Earphone as a standalone product on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

Overall

If you don’t mind waiting for the PlayStation Store $100 Gift Card + Free Sony Headphones bundle to get shipped to you via Bestbuy.com (or having to purchase it from a brick-and-mortar Best Buy store), then we recommend purchasing this product.

While the extra earphone that comes with the gift card is cheaply made, feels uncomfortable to wear and has poor sound output quality, it is serviceable enough to have as a temporary backup option if your main listening device needs to be repaired or replaced.

What are PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds?

When trying to purchase PlayStation Plus from a third-party merchant, you may have run into a product called PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds. So, what is this product? You can find out in this article from Seeking Tech.

To put it simply, PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds will add funds to your wallet for your PlayStation Network account. You can then use these funds to purchase digital games, add-ons, subscriptions and other content on the PlayStation Store.

PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds is the same as the regular PlayStation Gift Cards since you are able to redeem these vouchers in the same places in order to add funds.

However, PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds offers a slightly different branding. Not to mention that the denominations are different as well since you will be able to buy these codes in increments of $30, $55, $70 or $110.

While these increments may seem strange at first, they are the amount you can use to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription plus any applicable tax.

If you purchase a $30 PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds card, then it will cover three months’ worth of PlayStation Plus Essential.

The $55 card should cover three months’ worth of PlayStation Plus Extra (which is currently priced at $39.99) and potentially three months of PlayStation Plus Premium ($49.99).

The $70 PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds denomination should cover the yearly payment of PlayStation Plus Essential.

Last but not least, the $110 card is designed for those who want a 1-year PlayStation Plus Extra membership.

For the uninformed, you can find the pricing structure of all the PlayStation Plus tiers in the U.S. region below:

PlayStation Plus Essential:

  • Monthly: $9.99
  • Quarterly: $24.99
  • Yearly: $59.99

PlayStation Plus Extra:

  • Monthly: $14.99
  • Quarterly: $34.99
  • Yearly: $99.99

PlayStation Plus Premium:

  • Monthly: $17.99
  • Quarterly: $49.99
  • Yearly: $119.99

As you can see above, you will get a discount if you don’t mind paying a large sum upfront for the yearly option instead of the monthly or quarterly option.

To find out more about the differences between these three PS+ tiers, you can check out this versus guide. To learn more about how the PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds compares to the regular PlayStation Gift Cards, you can look at this post.

If you are interested in purchasing the wallet funds, then you can find them on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

Can you download games from PlayStation Plus Premium?

If you subscribe to PlayStation Plus Premium, then you will have full access to hundreds of games. So, can you download titles from this service? You can find out in this guide from Seeking Tech.

Platforms

PlayStation Plus Premium is supported on the PC, mobile, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5.

If you want to play games from the PS Plus Premium Plus subscription on a PC or mobile platform, then you can only do so through streaming. You won’t be able to download these titles and play them natively on your non-PlayStation hardware.

If you are using PS+ Premium on your PS4 or PS4 Pro, then you can download and play the PS4 games being offered by the service. However, you won’t be able to download or stream PS5 titles on these last-generation consoles.

On the PlayStation 5, you should be able to download and stream a vast majority of PS4 and PS5 games from the Premium tier. The only exceptions are PS4 games that have major backwards compatibility issues with being played on PlayStation 5 as these are only accessible through streaming.

About PlayStation 3 Games

The PlayStation Plus Premium subscription will also let you play select PS3 games.

These titles are currently available only through streaming as you can’t download them on your PC, mobile, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro and/or PlayStation 5. This is due to PlayStation 3 games being hard to emulate on the PS4 and PS5 consoles.

How to tell if you can download a game from PS Plus Premium?

You can tell whether or not a PlayStation Plus Premium game supports download by visiting its product page from the PlayStation Store.

If you are signed into your PlayStation Network account that is linked to your subscription, then you should see the Download option right away. If the game is limited exclusively to streaming, then you should only see the Stream option appear on the listing.

Can you keep the games from PlayStation Plus Extra?

PlayStation Plus Extra is a subscription that gives you access to hundreds of videogames for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. So, can you keep the titles you downloaded from this service? You can find out in this guide from Seeking Tech.

PlayStation Plus Extra catalogs

Before we begin, it is important to note that the Extra tier offers the following software catalogs:

  • Monthly Games Catalog
  • PlayStation Plus Collection
  • Game Catalog

Do you keep monthly games from PlayStation Plus Extra?

If you are an active member of PS+ Extra, then you should be able to keep playing the titles you downloaded from the Monthly Games Catalog.

For the uninformed, this catalog features a handful of titles that you can get if you are a member of PlayStation Plus Extra as well as PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Deluxe and PlayStation Plus Premium.

So, as long as you redeem these titles before they are removed from the Monthly Games Catalog, then you should be able to keep them if you are an active subscriber to any of the PlayStation Plus tiers.

If you no longer subscribe to any of the PS Plus plans, then you will lose access to the monthly games unless you become a member again.

Can you keep PlayStation Plus Collection from the Extra tier?

The PlayStation Plus Collection is a catalog of 20 PS4 games that you can get during the early years of the PlayStation 5 console. This catalog is no longer available as of May 9, 2023.

If you managed to get games from this catalog before they were removed, then you will be able to keep playing them as long as you remain a member of PlayStation Plus Extra. If you decide to downgrade your plan to the Essential tier, or upgrade to the Deluxe/Premium tier, then you will also be able to have access to games from this collection.

If you don’t remain a member to any of the PS Plus plans, then you won’t be able to play the software you got through The PlayStation Plus Collection unless you resubscribe.

Do you keep Game Catalog titles on PS Plus Extra?

A majority of games from PlayStation Plus Extra are offered through the Game Catalog.

These titles have an expiration date. Once the game has expired, it won’t show up in the Game Catalog. Furthermore, you will lose access to playing the software even if you stay a member of PlayStation Plus Extra (or higher) and redeem the software before the expiration date.

If you want to keep playing an expired title from this catalog, then you have to purchase the game.

Of course, you will also lose access to these games if you are no longer a member of PlayStation Plus Extra, PlayStation Plus Deluxe or PlayStation Plus Premium.

If you re-sub before the expiration date, however, then you will be able to play them until they leave the catalog.

How to fix PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium expiring license issues

When playing a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 game from the PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Plus Premium catalog, you may get a message saying that the license will expire in 15 minutes.

If you continue to play the game, then you will get another message saying that it will close in 5 minutes.

If you still decide to keep playing, then the game will eventually close and you will be kicked back out to the home screen menu of your console.

To see how you can potentially fix this issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. For the first step, we recommend that you try opening the same title after its license has supposedly expired. If you are able to play the game again, then there is likely something wrong with the authentication servers of the PlayStation Network.

In this case, there is not much else you can do but to patiently until Sony fixes the server issues on their end. You should still be able to play the game normally as long as you make sure you save before the license “expires” just in case so that you won’t lose any progress when you open the game again and then reload your save file.

2. If you can’t re-open the game that has the expired license, then you can try using the Restore Licenses feature.

On the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, you need to open the Settings menu and then select Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses > Restore.

On the PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console, you need to head over to the Settings menu and then select Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses > Restore.

3. If you are logged into the same PlayStation Network account that is used to subscribe to PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Plus Premium, then you should make sure that your subscription hasn’t expired.

4. If you are using a different PlayStation Network account, then you should make sure that the PSN account with the PS Plus subscription has set your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 as the primary console.

For the PS4 and PS4 Pro, you need to go to Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PlayStation 4 > Activate.

On the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition, you have to select Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play > Enable.

5. If you are still getting the “this game will expire in 15 minutes” or “this game will expire in 5 minutes” errors when trying to play a title from the Game Catalog or Classics Catalog, then we recommend that you contact PlayStation Support to get additional help.

How to fix ‘registration of the trophy information could not be completed’ error

When trying to start a PS3 game over cloud streaming on your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console via the PlayStation Plus Premium service, you may encounter the following error message:

  • “Registration of the trophy information could not be completed. The game will quit. (80022D86)”

To see how you can fix this trophy issue and get the game to boot normally, you can check out this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. For the first step, you can try syncing your PlayStation 3 trophies to the PlayStation Network. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

  • First off, try to open the stream for another PS3 game.
  • Next, you need to open the PS3 Menu. On the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, you can do so by pressing the PS button and then select Display PS3 Menu. On the PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, you need to press the PS button, select the Now Streaming card and then select Show/Hide PS3 Menu.
  • Inside the PS3 Menu, move right to the PlayStation Network tab and then select Trophy Collection.
  • Wait for the trophies to be synced to the PlayStation Network.
  • Finally, close the currently streaming videogame and then try to open the game where you previously encountered the 80022D86 error.

2. You can also try not touching your controllers for 10 minutes.

Once the server detects that there haven’t been any controller inputs for over 10 minutes, it will start to kick you out of the cloud streaming game. After the game has closed, try to open it again to see if you are still getting the “registration of the trophy information could not be completed” error.

3. Restarting your PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition may also help as well.

4. There may be some widespread server issues where save files and trophy data are either lost and/or causing the cloud streaming PS3 game not to boot up correctly.

In this case, we recommend that you avoid streaming the game until Sony fixes the problems on the server blades.

5. If you can’t afford to wait, then you can try contacting the PlayStation Support team to see if they can provide some additional help with your issue.

How to prevent ‘your streaming game closed due to inactivity’ error on PS4 and PS5

When playing a cloud streaming game on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 via PlayStation Plus Premium, you may end up getting kicked out of the stream even if you have a stable Internet connection. To see how you can prevent this from happening, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

Why you’re getting discounted form cloud streaming

Before you get disconnected, you may see the following message with a countdown clock:

  • “You have been inactive for a while. This game will close to make room on the server for other players.”

If you want to continue you session, then you need to press any button on your DualSense or DualShock 4 controller before the countdown ends.

Otherwise, you will be booted off of your current session, losing any unsaved progress. You should also see the following message appear on the screen:

  • “Your streaming game closed due to inactivity. You were inactive for a while, so your game automatically closed to make room on the servers for other players. Play again when you’re ready.”

If you select the Start Again option in this screen, then the stream will restart.

How to prevent from being kicked when cloud streaming

If you want to prevent the “you have been inactive for a while” and or “your streaming game closed due to inactivity” messages from showing up, then you need to make sure that don’t leave the game inactive for 10 minutes.

This is because the servers will kick you off in order to make room for another player when it detects that you haven’t been using your controller for at least 10 minutes. Therefore, you should make sure that you are actively using your controller so that you won’t get disconnected.

If you are watching a long cut scene, then you should make sure that you move one of the analog sticks or press one of the directional pad buttons occasionally to avoid the disconnection. You can also try pressing other buttons although dosing so may cause the cut scene to be skipped.

If you need to leave the cloud streaming game on for more than 10 minutes without any controller inputs, then we recommend pausing the game first. Afterwards, place the DualSense or DualShock 4 face down in a way where the left or right analog sticks are moving upwards. This will be registered as an input by the cloud stream servers and, therefore, prevent any disconnections due to inactivity.

If you are getting an “closing your last game session” error when trying to stream PS3 games on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, then you can check out this guide to see how you can potentially fix this problem.

How to fix ‘closing your last game session’ error on PS4 and PS5

With a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription, you can play a selection of PlayStation 3 games through cloud streaming on the PS4, PS4 Pro, PS4 and PS5 Digital Edition consoles.

When trying to start up a stream for a game you previously played, you may see the “closing your last game session” error. To see how you can potentially fix this issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to put your controller down and then wait for at least 10 minutes.

This is because the severs should kick you out of your current gaming session once it detects that you have been inactive for 10 minutes. After that, you should see the following message:

  • “Your streaming game closed due to inactivity. You were inactive for a while. Sop your game automatically closed to make room on the servers for other players. Play again when you’re ready.”

In this screen, you need to select the Start Again option.

2. If waiting 10 minutes did not work, then you can try restarting your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console. By doing so, you should be able to refresh your Internet connection as well as your connection to the PlayStation Plus Premium cloud streaming server.

3. You can also try starting another PlayStation 3 game stream. If the other title works without any issues, then you can close it and then start your previous game.

4. There is a possibility that the “closing your last game session” issue is due to a problem with the server blades. In this case, we suggest that you simply wait until PlayStation fixes their servers before you try to play the same game again.

5. You can also try contacting the PlayStation Support team in order to get additional support.

If you managed to boot back into your streaming PS3 game but noticed that all your save files for it is gone, then the data may have been corrupted.

If you have these saved data backed up to the cloud storage, then you should be able to download them again. To find out how to download your cloud saves for these PS3 cloud streaming titles, you can take a look at the steps laid out in this previous tutorial.

There is also a possibility that any trophies you earned in your previous session may not have sync properly to your PlayStation Network. Unfortunately, you may need to re-earn them again.

How to check if PlayStation Plus is required to play online for any PS4 and PS5 game

You are required to be a member of PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, PlayStation Plus Deluxe or PlayStation Plus Premium in order to play online multiplayer for a vast majority of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. The only exceptions to this rule are free-to-play such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone, Destiny 2, Fall Guys, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Multiversus and Rocket League. 

To see how you can check to see if a specific game requires PS Plus for online play, you can take a look at this tutorial from Seeking Tech. 

1. To start off, make sure you turn on your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console if you haven’t done so already. 

2. Next, you need to head over to the product page of the game. 

If the game is already installed and on the home page of your PS5, then you can move the cursor to the game’s icon. From there, go down and then select the three dots icon. Finally, select View Product in the pop-up menu. 

If the game is not on the home page, then you can go to the Game Library menu. Select the game from there and then select the three dots icon. In the small window menu, you should then select the View Product option. 

Alternatively, you can simply search for the game on the PlayStation Store of the PS5. Searching the online shop is also the only way to view a game’s product page on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro console. 

3. Once you get to the product page on your PlayStation 5, look for a small box located to the right.

You can also select the same small box to open the Compatibly Notices menu.  

If you see the “PS Plus required for online play” line, then it means that you need to subscription in order to play this specific game online. 

On the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, you should see the following yellow-colored text on the game’s product page if it requires you to be a PS Plus member: 

“Paid PlayStation Plus subscription required for online multiplayer.” 

Even if you aren’t subscribed to any of the PlayStation Plus tiers, you can still be able to play online if someone else is willing to share their benefits with you. To see how you can share PS Plus benefits across multiple PSN accounts, you can follow the steps laid out in this step-by-step tutorial.