EA Play is not included with PlayStation Plus Premium
To clear up any confusion, EA Play is not bundled as part of the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription. EA Play remains a completely separate paid service even if you subscribe to the highest PlayStation Plus tier.
What is PlayStation Plus Premium?
PlayStation Plus has been restructured in 2022 to offer three membership tiers: Essential, Extra and Premium. Here‘s what each level includes:
PlayStation Plus Essential
- Online multiplayer access
- 2 monthly downloadable games
- Exclusive discounts
- Cloud storage for saved games
Price: $9.99/month, $24.99/quarter, $59.99/year
PlayStation Plus Extra
- All Essential tier benefits
- Catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games available for download
Price: $14.99/month, $39.99/quarter, $99.99/year
PlayStation Plus Premium (highest tier)
- All Extra tier benefits
- Adds up to 340 additional games, including PS3 games available via cloud streaming
- Game trials – time-limited access to new release titles
- Catalog of beloved classic games from the original PlayStation, PS2 and PSP
Price: $17.99/month, $49.99/quarter, $119.99/year
As of June 2022, the PlayStation Plus Premium catalog offers over 700 downloadable PS4 and PS5 games, along with hundreds more classics via streaming.
What is EA Play?
EA Play is a subscription service from Electronic Arts that grants members access to:
- A library of EA games on PS4, PS5, Xbox and PC
- Early trial access to new EA games
- 10% discount on EA digital purchases
- Exclusive member rewards and content
EA Play costs:
- $4.99 per month
- $29.99 per year
In August 2022, EA Play provided access to over 225 games. Popular franchises include FIFA, Madden NFL, Battlefield, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, and more.
EA Play is not bundled with PlayStation Plus Premium
Despite PlayStation Plus receiving expanded services and catalogs in its Premium plan, EA Play remains an entirely separate subscription.
Even PlayStation Plus Premium members still need to subscribe to EA Play to access its benefits. The two memberships do not overlap.
Having both services active costs:
- $17.99 per month for PlayStation Plus Premium
-
- $4.99 per month for EA Play
Total: $22.98 per month
- $119.99 per year for PlayStation Plus Premium
-
- $29.99 per year for EA Play
Total: $149.99 per year
Should you subscribe to both services?
Whether or not it‘s worth subscribing to both PlayStation Plus Premium and EA Play depends largely on your gaming preferences.
Consider PlayStation Plus Premium alone if:
- You rarely play EA titles
- You primarily enjoy Sony‘s first-party PS4/PS5 exclusives
- You want to try PlayStation classics but don‘t need the latest sports games
Adding EA Play makes sense for:
- Fans of EA‘s biggest franchises like FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, etc.
- Those who play EA games regularly and want early access
- Players who want the combined breadth of Sony + EA catalogs
Having both subscriptions provides access to the most games. But it comes at a higher cumulative cost.
Number of games comparison
| Service | PS4/PS5 Games | Retro Games | Total Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Plus Premium | Over 700 | 340-400 classic games | 1,000+ |
| EA Play | Over 225 | – | Over 225 |
As of August 2022, PlayStation Plus Premium offered over 700 modern PS4 and PS5 games to download and play.
The retro catalog also grants access to 340-400 games from PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP via cloud streaming.
Meanwhile, EA Play contained over 225 games in its PlayStation and Xbox libraries. While smaller, it focuses specifically on Electronic Arts‘ titles.
Subscription memberships
In June 2022, Sony reported having 47.4 million PlayStation Plus subscribers worldwide. The revamped Premium tier only launched in June, so its membership count is still ramping up.
EA has not recently shared specifics on total EA Play subscriber numbers. However, they have said sign-ups have tripled since 2020. EA Play has been offered since 2016.
Expert analysis on bundling PlayStation Plus Premium and EA Play
Based on the vast content libraries both services provide, I think the main PlayStation gamers who would benefit from adding EA Play are:
- Those wanting annual access to yearly sports game updates like FIFA and Madden NFL
- Multiplayer shooter fans who play every new Battlefield
- Players that enjoy discovering new games and want maximum variety
Casual players may not need back-to-back access to every annual iteration of franchises like FIFA. But for the hardcore fans who play daily, dual access to both catalogs provides huge value.
The early trial benefit is also great for players excited to be the first to experience upcoming EA blockbuster games before release.
Personally, I suggest PlayStation-focused gamers try the Plus Premium service first, and evaluate if you play enough EA titles to warrant adding EA Play later. The main PlayStation Plus perks will satisfy most users. But EA super fans may want to double up for total gaming content access.
In summary
- EA Play does not come included with PlayStation Plus, even at the Premium tier
- Each remain separate paid subscriptions with different game catalogs
- Having both provides access to over 1,000 PS4, PS5 and classic games
- Dual membership makes most sense for hardcore EA sports gamers, Battlefield fans and variety seekers
- Casual EA players can likely just enjoy PlayStation Plus Premium without also needing EA Play
So in the end, it comes down to your personal gaming habits. While bundling services nets the most content, assess if you will play enough of the EA library to justify the added cost. For many PlayStation gamers, the Plus Premium catalog should sufficiently satisfy.