PlayStation has offered free games through their PlayStation Plus service for many years now. This program provides subscribers with a selection of complimentary PS4, PS5 and PlayStation VR games each month. So if you’re wondering whether PlayStation gives away free games, the answer is yes!
Let’s take a closer look at how PlayStation Plus free games work and what’s on offer this month.
What is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus (commonly abbreviated to PS Plus) is a paid subscription service for PlayStation consoles. A PS Plus membership provides users with a few key benefits:
- Online multiplayer access for most PS4 and PS5 games
- Exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store
- 100GB of cloud storage for game saves
- Early access to new game demos and betas
- Free games each month
It’s the free games that we’re most interested in here. Each month, PS Plus members get access to a selection of complimentary games across PS4, PS5 and PlayStation VR. These are yours to download and keep as long as you maintain an active subscription.
Sony tends to offer around 3-4 free titles each month, usually consisting of a mix of bigger AAA games and smaller indie titles. The quality can vary from month to month, but overall it provides terrific value given a yearly PS Plus membership only costs around $60 USD.
How does it work?
Getting your free PS Plus games is a simple process:
- Make sure you have an active PS Plus membership.
- On your PS4 or PS5, go to the PlayStation Store and find the ‘PS Plus’ game category.
- The free games will be presented here – just add them to your library to download whenever you want.
- Once downloaded, you can play the games for as long as you remain a PS Plus member.
- Sony refreshes the line-up on the first Tuesday of every month, so check back regularly.
As long as your membership doesn’t lapse, you’ll get to keep access to all the PS Plus freebies you’ve obtained. However, they will become locked if you ever unsubscribe.
It’s also worth noting that the monthly games are only free while they are featured. After the first Tuesday of the month, the current batch of games gets replaced and can no longer be redeemed for free. So be sure to grab them as soon as possible each month.
What’s included this month?
Here are the free PlayStation Plus games for October 2023:
PS5
- In Sound Mind
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
PS4
- Mortal Kombat X
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
PlayStation VR
- Job Simulator
This month offers a solid selection of free titles. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the highlight – an acclaimed 2019 action game from the developers behind Dark Souls. In Sound Mind is an intriguing indie horror, Mortal Kombat X brings gory fighting action, and Job Simulator is a hilarious virtual reality experience. Overall, a decent haul of freebies for PlayStation Plus subscribers in October 2023.
Do the free games change every month?
Yes, PlayStation Plus offers a fresh batch of free games on the first Tuesday of every month. The selection is always changing, with new PS4, PS5, and PS VR titles cycled in while the existing games get retired.
Sony never announces the upcoming PS Plus games ahead of time. Instead, subscribers have to wait for the announcement on the last Wednesday of each month. That builds anticipation and encourages players to check back monthly.
The variety of games on offer has improved substantially over time. During the early PS Plus years, the freebies were often smaller indie titles. But nowadays, Sony secures some major releases – often around 6-12 months after their initial launch.
Popular past PS Plus giveaways have included huge hits like:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Fallout 4
- God of War
- Monster Hunter: World
- Resident Evil 7
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
So while the selection rotates monthly, overall it provides amazing value for PlayStation gamers.
What happens if your membership expires?
Unfortunately, your access to PlayStation Plus free games expires if you ever let your membership lapse.
The monthly PS Plus freebies are only playable while your subscription remains active. If you fail to renew, the games will become locked until you re-subscribe.
It’s important to note that you’re only losing access to the free games themselves. Any game saves or trophies acquired will remain intact. So if you resubscribed after a few months away, you’d be able to resume progress.
But in terms of actually playing the games, your membership needs to remain current. Once unsubscribed, you cannot launch or play the PlayStation Plus monthly games you previously downloaded.
This is the trade-off for getting complimentary games each month. It provides great ongoing value, but only while you keep paying for PlayStation Plus.
However, any PlayStation Plus games you purchased outright and added to your PSN library will still be accessible even if your membership lapses. The free monthly games are the only ones affected.
Can you play the games offline?
Yes, once you have downloaded the PlayStation Plus monthly games, you can play them offline without an internet connection. You only need to be connected while redeeming and downloading them initially.
After you’ve added the free games to your PlayStation library and installed them, you can safely play offline. PS Plus does not require a constant internet connection to play.
This makes the service convenient for playing during travel, or when you lack reliable wi-fi. The only limitation is that offline play is restricted to the primary PS4 or PS5 system that is activated as your account’s ‘home’ console.
So PlayStation Plus members can enjoy uninterrupted offline access on their main device. Just remember to connect periodically to renew your membership and download the latest games.
Do the free games change on PlayStation Now?
PlayStation Now is a separate game subscription service, focusing on game streaming rather than downloads. Like PlayStation Plus, it also offers a monthly selection of complimentary games. However, the Now selection focuses entirely on PlayStation 2, PS3 and PS4 titles.
The process works similarly otherwise:
- New games are added on the first Tuesday of each month
- Existing games get rotated out monthly
- You need an active PS Now subscription to play the free games
The quantity and quality of PlayStation Now’s free games isn’t quite on par with PS Plus. Now tends to offer around 6-10 titles per month, spanning various generations. They’re included with the standard Now subscription, which starts at $9.99 monthly.
You also stream the games over the internet rather than downloading them. This allows play on PC in addition to PlayStation consoles. If your internet connection is strong enough, streaming can work well, but it’s not ideal for all gamers.
Overall, PlayStation Now complements PS Plus with its own frequently changing selection of free titles. Both subscriptions can be combined for the ultimate PlayStation access.
What PS Plus tier do I need for free games?
All PlayStation Plus subscription tiers grant access to the monthly free games. Here’s a quick rundown:
- PlayStation Plus Essential – The base PS Plus tier required for online play, discounts and free monthly games.
- PlayStation Plus Extra – A middle tier adding a catalog of 400+ downloadable PS4 and PS5 games.
- PlayStation Plus Premium – The top tier further adding 340+ PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 games to stream or download.
PS Plus Extra and Premium provide additional game libraries with their higher subscription fees. But the core free monthly game offerings are included in all tiers, including the base Essential plan.
So you can get your complimentary PS4, PS5 and VR games by signing up for any PlayStation Plus membership. The more expensive tiers simply build on this with their extended catalogs and classic game access.
How many free games can I redeem each month?
All PlayStation Plus subscribers can redeem the complete monthly lineup of free games each month. Sony doesn’t impose any limits on how many you can claim.
Typically, PS Plus offers around 3-4 new free games across PS4, PS5 and PS VR. You have the option of grabbing all of these titles if wanted. Even if you’re never going to play them, it’s worth adding them to your library in case you change your mind later.
The only other factor is your console storage space. Downloading too many unused games may fill up your SSD or HDD quickly. But in terms of redemption limits, you can obtain as many free PS Plus games per month as are available.
Sony wants to encourage players to check out the varied selection. So feel free to grab all the monthly freebies to maximize the value of your membership. Just be aware of your remaining storage capacity.
Can I play the same game on PS4 and PS5?
Some PlayStation Plus monthly games support cross-generation play between PS4 and PS5. This allows access to both the last-gen and next-gen versions with a single redemption.
Cross-gen titles are clearly marked if available. When you add the game through PlayStation Plus, it will show as playable on both console formats.
Here are the conditions for cross-generation play:
- You must redeem the game via PlayStation Plus while a member.
- Your PS4 and PS5 systems need to be linked to the same PSN account.
- You’ll only get access to the PS5 version if you have the console.
With those requirements met, you can download the game on PS4 and PS5. Your save data will transfer between platforms via the cloud storage feature.
Cross-gen adds great flexibility. You can play the PS4 version initially, then upgrade to the PS5 edition down the road. All from a single PlayStation Plus redemption.
Can I play on multiple consoles?
PS Plus members can access their subscription and free games on up to two PlayStation hardware systems. This allows play across:
- 1 PS4 + 1 PS5
- 2 PS4 consoles
- 2 PS5 consoles
All you need to do is login with your PSN account on both systems. Each console can then download and play the PlayStation Plus free games tied to your membership.
Just remember to activate each system as your account’s ‘Primary PS4’ and ‘Primary PS5’ to enable unrestricted offline access. Games can only be offline on your primary device.
With two consoles linked to your account, you’ll have doubled access to PlayStation Plus freebies. Shared play across households is not permitted, but this dual access is a nice perk.
How long do I have to download the games?
PlayStation Plus monthly games must be downloaded before they get cycled out on the first Tuesday of the next month. This gives you around four weeks to claim and download each title.
However, it’s recommended you redeem the free games immediately on the first Tuesday they become available. That gives you the maximum time to download and start playing.
Leaving it too late risks the games expiring from the PS Plus service before you can install them. And if your downloads aren’t completed by the monthly refresh, you’ll lose access.
So while you technically have a month, get the new Plus games on release day for the full window to play. Set a monthly reminder if needed so you never miss out.
Can I play if I’m not the PS Plus subscriber?
Yes, any user profiles on your ‘Primary’ PS4 or PS5 console can access your PlayStation Plus subscription benefits. This includes playing the monthly free games.
As long as the main account has an active PS Plus membership, all other users gain shared access even without their own subscription. Handy for households with multiple gamers.
The benefits are restricted to offline play on your Primary system only. Secondary consoles require users to login with the PS Plus account holder profile to play online or use Plus features.
But on your main device, all profiles enjoy unlimited use of the free games associated with the subscription owner. Just download them from the main account and they’re playable by everyone.
Conclusion
PlayStation Plus unquestionably offers free games every month for PS4, PS5 and PlayStation VR. The selection is varied and often includes major AAA titles alongside smaller indies.
As long as your membership remains active, you can keep playing all your previously redeemed PS Plus games. Just be sure to download the newest batch by the first Tuesday of each month.
While not flawless, PlayStation Plus provides outstanding value with its rotating array of complimentary games. Well worth the subscription cost for any PlayStation owner.
