I‘m sure you‘ve heard about PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) and all the great benefits it offers PlayStation gamers like us. We‘re talking:
- Playing PS4 and PS5 games online
- Getting 2-3 free games each month
- Exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store
- 100GB of cloud storage for game saves
- Early access to new game demos
- Share Play to invite friends into your game sessions
It sounds awesome, right? But PS Plus requires a paid membership, usually $9.99 per month.
Well, don‘t worry just yet. In this guide, I‘ll show you the best ways to get a free trial of PS Plus in 2024. That way you can test it out before committing to a paid subscription.
Let‘s jump in!
Here‘s a quick answer on scoring free PS Plus trials:
The easiest ways are to use PS Plus voucher codes, create a new PSN account, or watch for free weekend promotions. Discounted 12-month subscriptions can also give you 1-2 months free compared to monthly pricing. Read on for more details!
Hunt Down Free PS Plus Trial Voucher Codes
Sony will occasionally issue free PS Plus trial vouchers, usually 7-14 days. Here are some places to find these magical codes:
- Inside new PS5 or PS4 console boxes – check for inserts with trial codes!
- Bundled with certain games/accessories when you buy them
- Given away at gaming conferences like E3 or PSX
- Promoted through PlayStation social media like Twitter or Facebook
- Offered by third-party retailers like Amazon, Walmart, or CDKeys
I recently bought a PS5 controller from Amazon and scored a 7-day trial code in the box! So it‘s worth looking out for deals like that.
These vouchers are specifically for new PS Plus subscribers only. But if you make a new account (more on that later) you can use them again even if your main account already did a free trial before.
Create a New User Account for Another Free Trial
Since you can only get one free PS Plus trial per account, this clever trick will score you a second trial:
- Make a new user profile on your PlayStation console
- Sign up for a 7-day PS Plus trial with that new account
- Set the new account as your Primary console account
- Your main account now shares PS Plus benefits!
I tested this myself across two PS4 consoles in my house. Worked flawlessly to let both my wife and I access multiplayer with two trials.
Just be sure to cancel the trial on the secondary account before the 7 days is up. You don‘t want that one accidentally renewing!
Watch for Free PS Plus Weekend Promotions
A few times per year, PlayStation will make PS Plus completely free for a weekend. That means free online multiplayer and all the other membership perks for all users!
These free events usually run Friday to Sunday. Sony runs them to celebrate big gaming milestones like:
- New console launches (PS5 had one)
- Big game releases like God of War
- Gaming conventions like E3
- Major sales weekends like Black Friday
I recommend following the official PlayStation Twitter account. They always announce the free weekends ahead of time there. Then you can swoop in and enjoy the perks while they last!
Buy Discounted 12-Month Subscriptions
While not technically a free trial, you can often score super cheap yearly PS Plus subscriptions during sales. Think 25-50% off the normal $59.99 yearly price.
The major sales periods to grab discounted PS Plus codes are:
- Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals in November
- Holiday sales in December
- New Year‘s sales in January
- Back to school sales in August/September
Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Newegg, and CDKeys tend to have the best sale prices. A $29.99 or $39.99 yearly PS Plus code gets you 1-2 months free compared to paying monthly.
If you time it right with a new account trial, you could get over 3 months of membership for under $40 total! Hard to beat that value.
Split PS Plus with a Friend or Family Member
If you know someone willing to share their account, you can "piggyback" on their PS Plus subscription.
By activating their account on your console as Primary and sharing logins, you get full access to multiplayer and free games tied to their membership.
The downside is you‘ll need continued access to their account. But it‘s great if you just need temporary online access and don‘t want to pay!
My brother and I game share so we only need one PS Plus subscription for both of us. Saved us a ton of cash over the years.
Grab Trials Through Discord Nitro Subscription
Discord and PlayStation now partner together to offer free PS Plus trials through Discord‘s premium Nitro subscription ($9.99 per month).
When you join Discord Nitro, you get:
- 7 day PS Plus trial
- 3 free months of Crunchyroll Premium anime streaming
So for one Nitro payment, you can access one week of free PS Plus to try it out. Just be sure to cancel the auto-renewal unless you want to keep paying.
Watch for Future Free Trial Promotions
While less common now, Sony may bring back PS Plus free trials for future promotions.
For example, when PS5 first launched, PlayStation ran free trials for all PS5 owners. I‘m hoping they‘ll do something similar again when PSVR 2 comes out!
Your best bet is to follow PlayStation social channels and blogs for any announcements. And jump on trials quickly when they pop up, as they tend to be short-lived.
In Summary:
The days of unlimited repeat trials for PS Plus are over. But with voucher codes, new accounts, discounts, sharing, and promotions, you can still access free trials in 2024!
Now let‘s talk about maximizing those trials when you get them…
Once you‘ve secured access to a free PS Plus trial, you‘ll obviously want to make the most of it! Here are my pro tips for getting the most value from your trial:
Claim Those Monthly Free Games!
One of the best PS Plus perks is getting 2-3 full games for free each month. These are yours to keep as long as you remain a subscriber.
Previous months had huge free games like God of War, Bloodborne, and Resident Evil!
Here are the free PS Plus games you can download right now in January 2024:
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS4/PS5)
- Axiom Verge 2 (PS4)
- Fallout 76 (PS4)
Check the PlayStation Blog at the start of each month to see that month‘s new free games. "Purchase" them for $0 during your trial so they get added to your library forever.
I like to bookmark the blog and add the free games to my calendar. That way, I never miss out on the freebies!
Download Top Game Trials with PS Plus Premium
If you managed to score the pricier PS Plus Premium trial, take full advantage of the game trials included!
You can play full versions of popular games for 2 hours each. Progress carries over if you decide to buy the full game.
The best PS Plus Premium trials available right now:
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
- WWE 2K22
- Far Cry 6
- Scarlet Nexus
Check the Game Trials section of the PS Plus hub on your console to see the full list. Add interesting ones to your download queue to test out!
Enjoy Online Multiplayer Gaming
Naturally, a PS Plus trial gives you temporary access to online multiplayer modes that normally require a paid membership.
Gather some friends and enjoy teaming up in top multiplayer games like:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Overwatch 2
- Fortnite
- Destiny 2
- Elden Ring
- Grand Theft Auto Online
The free trial period is perfect for trying out multiplayer to see if you dig those online experiences. This helped me decide if buying a full year of PS Plus would be worth it or not.
Back Up Your Game Saves to the Cloud
One of my favorite PS Plus features is the 100GB of online cloud storage for game saves.
Upload your save files for any big single player games you‘ve invested time in. That way you can download them again if you ever replace your PS4 or PS5.
I‘d recommend games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla, and any big RPGs. Those are a pain to start over!
Download Legacy Cloud Saves from Your Account
Speaking of game saves, your account likely already has years of save files backed up from older PlayStation consoles.
So head into your PS Plus cloud storage and download any legacy PS3, PS Vita, or PS4 saves you still want handy.
I was able to grab my old Mass Effect and Fallout saves from PS3 and New Vegas saves from PS Now which was awesome.
Shop Member-Exclusive PS Store Game Discounts
As a PS Plus subscriber, you get special member discounts on games and DLC. I‘m talking up to 75% off!
Discounted items are marked with a blue PS Plus logo in the store. Add any tempting games to your wishlist so you can spot deals.
I tend to stock up on indie games during sales. Some recent ones I grabbed cheap were Cuphead, Stardew Valley, and Hollow Knight.
Definitely browse the PlayStation Store at least once during your trial to scoop up deals. But watch those impulse buys if you‘re on a budget!
My Top PS Plus Trial Tips:
- Activate all monthly free games
- Try Premium game trials
- Play online multiplayer titles
- Backup important save files
- Download legacy saves
- Shop member-only game sales
Get those done during your trial and you‘ll get maximum value out of your free PS Plus access!
Alright, so you‘ve taken PS Plus for a test drive during your free trial. Now it‘s time to avoid being charged once the trial period ends.
Cancelling is thankfully quick and painless. Here are the steps:
On Your PlayStation Console:
- Go to Settings > Account Management > Account Information
- Select PlayStation Subscriptions
- Choose your PS Plus subscription
- Toggle OFF the auto-renewal switch
This immediately stops payment at the end of your current membership period. So do it before the free trial ends to avoid being charged.
On Web Browser:
- Visit account.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com
- Login to your account
- Click Subscriptions Management
- Turn OFF Auto-Renew for PS Plus
Same deal – this will cancel your subscription at the end of the current term.
You can also contact PlayStation Support if you need help managing your membership.
One last tip: Use any leftover PS Plus wallet funds before cancelling! Those funds won‘t disappear, so spend ‘em if you got ‘em.
Then you can relax knowing you maximized your free trial without any unexpected charges.
Let‘s wrap up with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about getting PlayStation Plus trials:
Can I get another free PS Plus trial on the same account?
Unfortunately, no. Sony only allows one free trial per account nowadays. Creating new accounts is the only repeat option.
What‘s the difference between PS Plus and PS Now?
PS Plus is needed for online play and offers monthly free games. PS Now is a game streaming service for playing PS2/PS3/PS4 games.
Do PS Plus trials auto-renew by default?
Yep, so be sure to turn off auto-renewal before your trial ends, unless you want to be charged.
Can two people share the same PS Plus subscription?
Absolutely! Just activate console sharing between your primary PS4/PS5. Other accounts on that console get multiplayer access.
Do free PS Plus weekend promotions require a payment method?
Nope, anyone can join free weekends at no cost for the duration of the event!
What countries offer PlayStation Plus subscriptions?
PS Plus is available in most regions worldwide, except China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, and South Africa.
How many PS Plus membership tiers are there now?
There are currently 3 tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. Only Essential is needed for core online multiplayer.
And there you have it! Hopefully this guide gave you plenty of options to access free PS Plus trials in 2024. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy next time you get hands on that free trial!
