How much is PlayStation Plus Premium a year?

PlayStation Plus Premium is the top tier of Sony‘s revised PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) subscription service, which launched in June 2022. Premium offers the most benefits of the three tiers, but at the highest recurring annual cost. In this detailed guide, we‘ll break down exactly what you get with Premium, whether it‘s worth the price tag, and how it compares to services like Xbox Game Pass.

An overview of PlayStation Plus Premium

Here‘s a quick rundown of the PS Plus tiers and pricing:

• PlayStation Plus Essential – $59.99 USD/year. Offers monthly games, online multiplayer access, discounts etc. Similar to the original PS Plus.

• PlayStation Plus Extra – $99.99 USD/year. Adds a catalog of 400+ PS4 and PS5 downloadable games.

• PlayStation Plus Premium – $119.99 USD/year. Everything in Extra, plus 700+ classic games, game trials, and cloud streaming.

Premium is the most comprehensive tier, aimed at hardcore PlayStation fans who want access to the full breadth of PlayStation content and services.

The key benefits of Premium include:

• Huge games catalog – Download over 700 modern (PS4/PS5) and classic games spanning PS1 to PSP. New titles added monthly.

• Game trials – Time-limited trials of new release games to play before you buy. 10 hours of gameplay or more.

• Cloud streaming – Stream hundreds of games to your PS4, PS5 or PC without downloads. Requires fast internet.

• Classics catalog – Play iconic retro PlayStation games remastered for modern devices.

• Exclusive deals & discounts – Access to special sales and discounts not available to Essential members.

So in short, Premium gets you an instant game collection across PlayStation history, the ability to trial and stream games, and some other nice perks. But how much does it cost?

What is the annual cost of PlayStation Plus Premium?

The annual cost for PlayStation Plus Premium is:

• $119.99 USD in the United States
• £99.99 GBP in the United Kingdom
• $159.95 AUD in Australia
• $139.99 CAD in Canada

This works out to around $10 USD per month. You pay the full annual fee upfront, and are billed the same amount for automatic renewal each year.

Of course, you can also choose to pay monthly, but this is more expensive long term:

Membership	Monthly	3 months	12 months
PlayStation Plus Premium	$17.99	$49.99	$119.99

As you can see, signing up for a full year saves you around $60 compared to paying month-by-month. The annual plan is the best value if you know you want to keep Premium long term.

So in the US, you‘re looking at $120 per year for the top-tier PlayStation Plus experience. How does this compare to the cheaper Extra tier?

Premium vs Extra: Which PS Plus tier is better value?

PlayStation Plus Extra costs $99.99 USD for a year‘s access – $20 less than Premium annually. But you miss out on some key benefits, including:

• Cloud streaming for mobile and PC gaming
• Game trials for upcoming releases
• The retro classics catalog (340+ extra games)

For hardcore PlayStation fans who own a PS4 and PS5, Premium is probably worth upgrading for those extras. But PS5-only owners may be fine with Extra if they aren‘t interested in old school games.

Here‘s a comparison of what you get at each tier:

Benefit	Extra	Premium
Online multiplayer	✅	✅
Monthly games	✅	✅
Exclusive discounts	✅	✅
PS4/PS5 games catalog	400+ games	400+ games
Game trials	❌	✅
Cloud streaming	❌	✅
Classics catalog	❌	340+ games

With game trials and streaming, Premium allows you to experience more titles without having to buy them individually. So you may recoup the higher subscription cost by spending less on new game purchases.

How does PS Plus Premium compare to Xbox Game Pass?

PlayStation Plus Premium and Xbox Game Pass are very similar services – they both provide instant access to hundreds of downloadable games for a monthly/annual fee. But there are some key differences:

• Game Pass is cheaper – $9.99 USD per month compared to $17.99 USD for Premium. But Game Pass doesn‘t include cloud streaming.

• Premium has more classics – Hundreds of retro PlayStation titles versus around 10 classics on Game Pass.

• Game Pass gets newer games – Xbox first party games launch day one on Game Pass, PlayStation games land months or years after release.

• Game Pass supports PC gaming – Premium streaming is PS4/PS5 consoles only at this stage.

So Game Pass generally offers better value for those who just want to play modern games. But Premium is arguably better for nostalgic gamers who want to relive PlayStation history. Both services are great for trying new games for a low monthly price!

Tips for upgrading to Premium

If you‘re already a PlayStation Plus member on a lower tier, here are some tips for upgrading to Premium:

• Login and visit the Subscription page to see upgrade options and pricing.

• You‘ll be charged a prorated fee to upgrade based on any remaining time left in your membership year.

• Buying a discounted 12-month PS Plus code is cheaper than paying month-to-month. Redeem the code first before upgrading.

• If you have auto-renewal on, this will update to Premium once your existing membership expires.

• You can also wait for deals like the 25% off upgrade offer Sony has previously run.

Doing the math before upgrading ensures you don‘t overpay. Check you are getting any remaining Essential/Extra time credited.

Can you cancel PlayStation Plus Premium?

Yes, you can cancel Premium renewal at any time via your account settings. But there are no refunds for any unused time left in your membership year.

To cancel:

1. Go to the Subscription page in your PlayStation account.

2. Select your PS Plus Premium subscription.

3. Choose Turn Off Auto-Renewal to stop being charged when your year ends.

Once canceled, you will continue to have access until your current membership expires. You do not get a refund for any remaining time.

So consider waiting until close to your renewal date to cancel if you want to maximize the usage you get from your Premium subscription. Just remember to turn off auto-renewal so you aren‘t charged for another year.

The future of PlayStation Plus Premium

While the Premium price seems fair for the included benefits right now, Sony may make changes down the track:

• A price increase seems likely based on inflation and rising development costs. A $10-$20 annual hike could happen.

• The games catalog could be expanded further to keep it competitive with Game Pass. Upping first party day one launches would also add value.

• We may see an even higher Prestige tier with more games, DLC, extended trials etc. Again, this would likely cost more.

• Tier merging is another possibility if Premium makes Extra redundant long term. Two options may work better.

Of course, this is all speculation – but some evolution of PS Plus seems inevitable. As Sony observes Xbox Game Pass strategy, they may adapt Premium to match or beat what‘s offered.

For now, the service provides strong value without excessive pricing. But keep an eye out for any changes.

Is PlayStation Plus Premium worth it? The pros and cons

So should you subscribe to Premium for $119.99 USD a year? Here are some pros and cons to help decide:

Pros

• Instant access to an enormous games catalog spanning 25 years of PlayStation.

• Game trials allow you to experience upcoming releases before buying them. Great for avoiding disappointments.

• Cloud streaming enables mobile and PC gaming without needing powerful hardware.

• Discounts and deals on PlayStation Store purchases help you save money.

• Online multiplayer and monthly games are included along with all the above.

Cons

• It‘s an expensive subscription – over $100 annually is a big spend for some gamers.

• You can‘t play most Sony first party exclusives like God of War Ragnarok at launch.

• No downloads for cloud streamed games. You need a fast and reliable internet connection.

• The classics catalog omits some iconic PlayStation titles like Crash Bandicoot.

• You don‘t actually own any of the games – lose access if you cancel Premium.

The final verdict on PS Plus Premium

While not perfect, PlayStation Plus Premium currently provides tremendous value if you play a wide variety of PlayStation games. The sheer amount of content included makes it one of the best deals in gaming.

Hardcore PlayStation fans who enjoy both modern and classic gaming get the most bang for their buck from Premium. You could spend years working through the enormous back catalog of titles.

But more casual or budget-focused gamers may be better off with the cheaper Extra tier, or even the base PS Plus Essential membership. Not everyone needs such a large library of retro games.

Hopefully this detailed breakdown has helped explain exactly what you get with a PlayStation Plus Premium membership and whether the $119.99 annual pricing is justified for your gaming habits. Enjoy exploring PlayStation history and trying new releases with minimal risk via the generous game trials.