Sony Has Discounted PlayStation Plus Again After Black Friday [IGN]

It’s still 30% off select 12-month subscriptions, but this only applies to Extra and Premium, and there are no upgrade or stackable discounts available for those who are already members of Essential or Extra tiers, nor are there any additional PS gift card discounts as we saw over Black Friday.

However, it’s still worth noting that the deal is live, and will be available until the end of the day on December 17, so you’ve got a limited time to take advantage if you are interested.

Season of Play Promotion

Save 30% on 12 Months of PlayStation Plus

New Subscriptions Only. Extra and Premium Tiers.

• PlayStation Plus Extra 12-Month Subscription: $94.49 (was $134.99)
• PlayStation Plus Premium 12-Month Subscription: $111.99 (was $159.99)

For full transparency, this PS deal started on December 11, but we initially missed it in the Seasons of Play sale announcement — the deal was seemingly buried near the bottom of the article (or we’re just still tired after Black Friday and overlooked it). The other notable big deal that has persisted after Black Friday is the PS5 slim bundles, down to $499 and including a free game as well. Note: We also had reports of some users being unable to access the PS Plus discount on the first attempt.

PlayStation Plus 2023 Price Hike: Here’s All The Details

In case you weren’t aware, Sony globally increased the yearly cost of PS Plus in September 2023 by 30%. The new Season of Play discount somewhat temporarily reverses this decision again after the same Black Friday deal from a few weeks back. If the previous price increase deterred you, the return to the previous pricing could still be a good deal for any new PS5 owners over the holidays. Let us know your thoughts on the deal just below.

PS5 Best Deal: Spider-Man 2 Slim Bundle for $499

This is the best PS5 deal right now. you can save on a Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle which includes the brand-new game alongside the standard console and a DualSense wireless controller. It’ll set you back $499, which is 11% off its usual price of $559.99. You can also save on this bundle with the new Slim PS5 console, which we’ve listed below.

GTA 5 Headlines PS Plus Game Catalog for December

December is a big month for the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, with the addition of Rockstar’s GTA 5 hot on the heels of the explosive debut trailer for GTA 6. As Sony points out in a post on the PlayStation Blog, GTA 5’s arrival into the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog nicely lines up with the game’s newly launched update, GTA Online: The Chop Shop, which introduces a new Salvage Yard business, Drift Races, and more.

• Grand Theft Auto 5 | PS4, PS5
• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin | PS4, PS5
• MotoGP 23 | PS4, PS5
• Metal: Hellsinger | PS4, PS5
• Salt and Sacrifice | PS4, PS5
• Moonscars | PS4, PS5
• Mega Man 11 | PS4
• Gigabash | PS4, PS5
• Grime | PS4, PS5
• Tinykin | PS4, PS5
• Prodeus | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun Returns | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut | PS4, PS5
• Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition | PS4, PS5

What is PS Plus Premium and Is it Worth it?

Since the summer of 2022, PlayStation Plus has reinvented itself into a three-tiered membership. Similar to the likes of a streaming subscription; i.e Netflix, Disney+ etc, the higher the tier you subscribe to, the more benefits you acquire along the way.

PS Plus Essential is the easiest to define, as it’s what PS Plus has always been. Essential provides access to online play, cloud saves, two free games a month, and discounts on the PS Store.

Moving up a tier, to PS Plus Extra, you’re getting new PS4 and PS5 games each month, alongside the slew of PlayStation content already available (around 400 games), and everything PS Plus Essential provides.

If you opt for the most expensive plan, PS Plus Premium, you’re gaining additional access to PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 titles, on top of everything else the Extra and Essential tiers provide.

In summary; interested in playing more PS4 and PS5 games? Aim for the Extra tier. Feeling nostalgic? Go all out on the Premium tier. Just want to play online? Go for Essential; it’s as simple as that. Here’s an additional breakdown as well to make it even easier to understand.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.