The introduction of PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium has seemingly gone over well with the community, as each tier offers plenty for the cost. The access to PS4 and PS5 games, as well as classic titles, is a great move for video game conservation, and the catalog seems pretty strong. It’s only going to grow strong as Sony adds third-party titles to PS Plus on day one.
Of course, the long view is hard to determine right now, but it seems PS Plus and Game Pass are going to be more serious competitors than ever before. However, while Game Pass comes with perks, benefits, and the Ultimate version, the tier system sets PS Plus apart. There are a ton of ways this is a good thing, but for those who are paying for the higher tiers, it may mean they are being undercut by the PS Plus Essential tier.
PS Plus Essential Tier Already Features Two Repeats for Subscribers
In many ways, the PS Plus essential tier of free games is the same as it ever was—with the PS Plus free games for July 2022 being recently revealed as Crash Bandicoot 4, Man of Medan, and Arcadegeddon. As a whole, it’s an arguably better selection than the free games for June, which consisted of God of War, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikers, and Nickelodeon-All Star Brawl. Because the Essential Tier is the bottom one, Extra and Premium subscribers get access to these games too.
The problem here is that God of War and Man of Medan are already available for those on the Extra or Premium tier. This is good for those who only want the Essential Tier, but ultimately it undercuts those who are already paying the most for the monthly selection of games. For those already paying for the higher tier, they are effectively getting two new games alongside their libraries. The PS Plus free games for July aren’t so bad considering Crash Bandicoot 4, but this makes June's PS Plus games look much worse given Shinobi Strikers and All-Star Brawl’s relatively low review scores.
It remains to be seen if this becomes a solid pattern or a semi-consistent one, and the argument could be made that these games are “free” anyway since the Essential Tier is required for online play to begin with. The argument could even be made that this tactic is to encourage PS Plus subscribers to upgrade, but that still undermines those who are already paying for the highest tiers of the service.
PS Plus subscribers get a handful of free games every month.