I joined Playstation Plus way back in 2014 when I bought my first PS4, but as of the middle of October I no longer have it. I’ve been thoroughly disillusioned by the whole concept of PS Plus for a year or so now, as the often appalling free monthly games totally undermine one of the main purposes of subscribing to the service. As you’ve probably figured out, in this article I’m going to outline my multiple reasons for why I’m happy to no longer be paying for the service, and why it is doubtful that I will be rejoining.
My main issue is with the price of £50 for twelve months. While the amount of games included throughout the year for this might make it seem worth it, unless you are new to the console or gaming as a whole and are happy to try anything you can, most long standing gamers will already know what they want and don’t want, and therefore won’t get their full money’s worth out of it. I kept my subscription running as long as I did partly for the fact I tend to renew during digital sales so never paid full price, but also out of the hope that one day I’ll be rewarded with a free game (that I don’t already own) that I really want to play. So far, this has only happened once ever, which was the amazing and addictive Rocket League.
I’m also infuriated every time I already own one or both of the Plus games, like September of this year, where I already own The Last of Us and have no interest in the slightest in playing MLB The Show 19. If there was a way to instead receive a small PSN voucher when you already own a game that would be a great concept, but I’m aware that the idea is totally delusional.
Playstation Plus is required in order to play online, which I hardly ever do as I’m not the biggest fan of online gaming. Needless to say I don’t miss the option of playing online, and so for those like me who prefer single player experiences it is yet another reason that Playstation Plus is a waste of time. For the sake of balance, I will say Respawning’s livestreams of Dying Light for Halloween did make me miss playing online a bit and wishing I could join in, but not enough to justify the £50 price tag!
There was briefly a way in which players could vote from a selection of games for what they wanted to be free on Plus the following month, if memory serves, this was pulled after backlashes from those whose choice didn’t win. While I don’t fully blame Sony for backtracking with this, fan outrage was always an inevitability. So to unveil the voting system only to pull it within a couple months after release makes it clear Sony didn’t really think the idea through.
There have been some truly great games that have been free through Playstation Plus over the years such as Just Cause 3, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mad Max, and of course, Rocket League. Unfortunately, those are the only games I can think of in the last four years that have excited me, which is poor when you consider how long I’ve been using Plus.
The fact that Playstation Plus provides discounts on certain games is a nice feature, but unless you purchase a couple of games with the discount a month then it is better value for money to not pay for Plus in the first place.
At time of writing the free November games have just been announced, Nioh and Outlast 2. I couldn’t be happier about these being the first free games I won’t be adding to my library, as Nioh is well known as a difficult game, which is something that I actively avoid. As I don’t play horror games, combined with the fact it’s being made free AFTER Halloween has been and gone, Outlast 2 can absolutely get fucked. The added bonus on top of this is that if I change my mind at any time in the future about either of them, these games are frequently included in digital sales so can usually be found dirt cheap. Of course, this carries the additional proof that including them both in one month’s free games is a waste of money and an insult to those who continue to support the service.
I am getting more and more inclined to subscribe to Xbox Gamepass Ultimate, as the massive library of Xbox One and 360 games, including brand new games available on day of release, make it almost too tempting to pass up. I found in my handful of months on Xbox Live that the free monthly games they offer are superior to those offered by Sony, with titles like Prison Architect and Celeste, though this is of course down to my personal preference.
Thank you for reading this article about why I’m happy to be rid of Playstation Plus. If there’s a deal that’s too good to miss around Black Friday then I may take advantage of it, but the lack of games I want to play being made free with the subscription makes this unlikely. Let me know in the comments what free games have made you the most excited through PS Plus on PS4, and what your views of it as a service overall are. Catch you soon.
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