Should you get Playstation Plus?

I have an active Playstation Plus subscription which means I get “free games” every month, special discounts and access to online gaming. I usually buy a yearly subscription whenever there is an offer, like on the Days of Play sale. This time it cost me 39 euros which is 3,25 euros a month. I seldom play online and only occasionally buy games from the store so for me it’s mostly about the free games. So, is it worth it? 

Ever since getting Playstation Plus back in 2014 I've built up quite the game library of games that I haven’t yet played. Mostly games that I have got through the Playstation Plus subscription. Games like Metal Gear Solid - The Phantom Pain, The Surge, Just Cause 3 etc. Just to clarify, you don’t actually own the games that you get for “free”. If you cancel your subscription you are no longer able to play them. 

Tales from the Borderlands was a game that I hadn’t yet played, and it turned out to be great little gem. Borderlands was not very familiar to me from before but that didn’t matter since the game very quickly draws you into its world. The characters and story were great but the gameplay was a bit less so. I also felt that the first 3 episodes were better than the last two. I can recommend playing the game if you’re into these kinds of point and click games or just want to experience a good funny story with lovable characters.

I decided to check out how many of the free games that I’ve actually played and if it really is worth the price. So, in 2018 these are the games I have played and what they cost in the PS Store right now.

Batman: The Telltale Series (PS4) 14,95 €
Knack (PS4) 19,95 €
Ratchet and Clank (PS4) Played but did not finish. 19,95 €
Rayman Legends (PS4) Played but did not finish. 9,95 €
Call of Duty: Black Ops III (PS4) 59,95 €

Total: 124,75 €

As we can see in terms of free games 2018 was ok. I had the unfortune of already owning many of the games that were part of the service. Namely: 

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4) 29,95 €
Mad Max (PS4) 9,95 €
Beyond: Two Souls (PS4) 29,95 €
Heavy Rain (PS4) 9,95 €
Mafia III (PS4) 9,95 €
Soma (PS4) 28,45 € 

Total: 118,20 €

If we count all these games, the subscription in 2018 was no doubt worth it for most gamers.


Let’s compare this to 2017 and the games I played then: 

Little Big Planet 3 (PS4) 19,95 €
Tales from The Borderlands (PS4) 14,95 €
Life is Strange (PS4) 3,45 €
Child of Light (PS4) 7,45 €

Total: 45,80 €

For me 2017 was not that great. I already owned these games: 

Infamous: Second Son (PS4) 19,95 €
Until Dawn (PS4) 19,95 €
Game of Thrones: The Telltale series (PS4) 19,95 €

Total: 59,85 €

Still, I would say that for most gamers, 2017 was worth the subscription


Based only on the free games I’ve played I would say PS Plus was barely worth it in terms of money. It would have cost me about the same If I had bought all these games individually. I can’t remember what discounts I’ve used so I can’t take that into the calculation. However, if you consider that I would not have bought these games if I had not gotten them for free it’s a different story. In terms of exploration of new games and new game genres Playstation Plus is a good way to discover new games. I don’t know if I would have bought Life is Strange, Knack or Hitman and in that case I would have missed out on these great games if it weren’t for the subscription.

For someone like me who buys a lot of games, PlayStation Plus is not optimal. It's a bit disappointing when you have just bought a game and the next month you get it for free. But if you don’t buy a lot of games and you’re curious about playing different types of games it might be good for you.

Another reason I’m willing to pay for Playstation Plus is that I hope that the money goes to game developers as well as for improving the service, the PS store etc. I may be naive but I'll gladly pay for a service that I use regularly. The alternative could be far worse. The service could be “free” for the user but run on a paid by advertising model. I rather pay for a service with money instead of my personal information.

To summarise:

You should get Playstation Plus if:

You play a lot online
You have a lot of time and you are willing to try new games from different genres
You often buy from the Playstation Store
You have about 3,25-5 euro to spare each month

You should not get Playstation Plus if:

You don’t play online
You’re only interested in a certain type of games
You don’t buy a lot of games from the Playstation store
You don’t have 3,25-5 euro to spare each month 

Bonus: Screenshots from Tales from the Borderlands