PlayStation Plus has undergone several iterations and changes since its introduction. Originally, the service wasn’t required for online play at all and rewarded subscribers with extra discounts and free monthly games. Once the PlayStation 4 generation began, it was required for online play, but still offered those same benefits.
Now, PS Plus is divided into three different tiers of subscriptions. The basic tier, PS Plus Essential, still gets three games per month added, while the Extra and Premium tiers will have a varying number of games added to their catalogs monthly. With hundreds of games already and more coming and going all the time, even the most dedicated gamer won’t be able to play everything on offer. To help you get the most bang for your buck and so that no hidden gems fly under your radar, here are all the best games to play on PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium right now.
Best PS Plus Essential games
As is usually the case, everyone with the lowest tier of PS Plus gets three games for the month: two with PlayStation 5 versions and one with a PS4 version. Here’s what you can play in September:
Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
MLB The Show 24
Little Nightmares II
Best PS Plus Extra games
The Extra tier is where you can download and play a massive library of both PS4 and PS5 titles. These games cycle in and out every month, though you never know how many will be added or removed at a given time. Here are some of the best ones available right now:
Demon's Souls
Bloodborne
Death Stranding: Director's Cut
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
No doubt one of the best games of all time, The Witcher 3Â is available on both PS4 and PS5. If you get the latter version, however, you will benefit from the next-gen upgrades that include faster load times, mods, ray tracing, and more. Either way, the core adventure with Geralt questing to find and save his adopted daughter, Ciri, is one of the most engrossing RPGs we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Just try not to get too addicted to Gwent to finish the actual campaign.
Horizon Forbidden West
Kingdom Hearts III
Doom Eternal
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The classic PS2 franchise made a huge first impression on the PS5 with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. This game really shows what the new hardware can do in all aspects. The graphics are on the level of an animated feature comet to life, the frame rate is rock solid, and the resolution is beautiful and even offers ray tracing, but the real showpieces are the rifts. The whole concept of this title is that the dimensions are falling apart, allowing Ratchet, and new protagonist Rivet, to seamlessly move from one dimension to the next. It is a trick so amazing that you may not believe it’s real. Oh, and it also helps that the game is a fantastically fun shooter with tons of personality and creative weapons and enemies.
The Jackbox Party Pack 9
Sea of Stars
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Remnant II
Cult of the Lamb
Returnal
Best PS Plus Premium games
The Premium tier’s exclusive games are all the PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 games you can download and stream. The lineup of PS1, PS2, and PSP games was fairly limited at launch but will grow as new games are added monthly. For that retro hit, here are the best games from past generations to try out.
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
TimeSplitters 2
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
Twisted Metal 2
Whether you’re anticipating the TV adaptation or not, the original two Twisted Metal games are absolutely worth going back to. This is where car combat really started, and it’s arguably still the best. Each character you play as has a unique story as they attempt to win the titular tournament with the promise of any wish being granted upon victory. However, those wishes are never quite granted in the way the characters expect, making it a treat to play through the game to see how their words are twisted.
Jeanne d'Arc
The PSP had so many hidden gems, but Jeanne d’Arc is a name you had to be in very specific circles to hear. That lack of popularity wasn’t because the game was bad since it is considered a classic by just about everyone who did get their hands on it. You will relive the Hundred Years’ War in the 15th century as Jeanne engages in tactics-style gameplay. The artwork and story are dark and gripping, but the gameplay is just as brutal as it is addictive. Even if you’re not traditionally a tactics fan, this one is worth a shot.