Was a PlayStation Plus Essential membership worth the cost in 2025? Our analysis shows that for $79.99 or £59.99, members received over $1,500 or £1,300 worth of PS5 and PS4 games this year.
Just to be clear, you get to keep these games as long as you stay a subscriber – that’s something to keep in mind. Also, we didn’t factor in any previous sales or discounts when calculating the total cost, so you might be able to find some of these games on sale for less at different times of the year.
But in terms of overall value, it’s an astounding proposition.
The full lineup of 39 games was as follows:
January 2025
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5) – $69.99/£69.99
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (PS5, PS4) – $24.99/£17.99
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered (PS4) – $39.99/£34.99
February 2025
- PAYDAY 3 (PS5) – $29.99/£24.99
- High on Life (PS5, PS4) – $39.99/£32.99
- Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5, PS4) – $29.99/£34.99
March 2025
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) – $69.99/£69.99
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (PS5, PS4) – $39.99/£34.99
- Sonic Colors: Ultimate (PS4) – $39.99/£39.99
April 2025
- RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5) – $39.99/£34.99
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (PS5, PS4) – $19.99/£15.99
- Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (PS4) – $59.99/£44.99
May 2025
- ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5) – $44.99/£39.99
- Balatro (PS5, PS4) – $14.99/£12.99
- Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5, PS4) – $21.99/£17.99
June 2025
- NBA 2K25 (PS5, PS4) – $69.99/£69.99
- Alone in the Dark (PS5) – $39.99/£34.99
- Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5, PS4) – $39.99/£34.99
- Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PS5, PS4) – $29.99/£24.99
July 2025
- Diablo 4 (PS5, PS4) – $49.99/£49.99
- The King of Fighters XV (PS5, PS4) – $39.99/£32.99
- Jusant (PS5) – $24.99/£19.99
August 2025
- Lies of P (PS5, PS4) – $59.99/£49.99
- DayZ (PS4) – $54.99/£47.99
- My Hero One’s Justice 2 (PS4) – $39.99/£34.99
September 2025
- Psychonauts 2 (PS4) – $59.99/£49.99
- Stardew Valley (PS4) – $14.99/£11.49
- Viewfinder (PS5, PS4) – $24.99/£19.99
October 2025
- Alan Wake 2 (PS5) – $59.99/£49.99
- Goat Simulator 3 (PS5, PS4) – $29.99/£24.99
- Cocoon (PS5, PS4) – $24.99/£19.99
November 2025
- Stray (PS5, PS4) – $29.99/£24.99
- EA Sports WRC 24 (PS5) – $49.99/£44.99
- Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (PS5, PS4) – $19.99/£15.99
December 2025
- LEGO Horizon Adventures (PS5) – $39.99/£34.99
- Killing Floor 3 (PS5) – $39.99/£34.99
- The Outlast Trials (PS5, PS4) – $39.99/£30.99
- Synduality Echo of Ada (PS5) – $39.99/£34.99
- Neon White (PS5, PS4) – $24.99/£19.99
December was an exceptionally strong month for gaming, with total value from its five games exceeding $185 (or £155). This single month delivered almost three times the value of a yearly subscription.
October was the standout month, largely thanks to the high scores of Alan Wake 2 (89 on Metacritic) and Cocoon (88 on Metacritic), which significantly boosted the monthly average.
While PS Plus Essential is now just a part of Sony’s overall subscription services, and PS Plus Extra’s game selection changes frequently, we’ve decided to focus only on PS Plus Essential for this report.
Honestly, PlayStation Plus is still a great deal, in my opinion. It really just comes down to whether you personally think it’s worth it based on what you play. Everyone’s different, so what one person gets out of it might not be the same for another.
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2025-12-24 15:38