The short answer is – yes, PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) does offer new subscribers a 7-day free trial. This allows you to experience the PS Plus benefits completely free for one week before deciding if you want to continue with a paid membership.
Keep reading this comprehensive guide to learn all about the PS Plus free trial, what‘s included, who is eligible, how to sign up, when it ends, and how to cancel if it‘s not for you. I‘ll provide helpful tips from my experience as a long-time PlayStation gamer and PS Plus member to maximize the value you get from the free week.
A Quick Primer on PlayStation Plus
For those unfamiliar, PlayStation Plus is Sony‘s premium online service that gives you a bunch of useful benefits and perks. The subscription service costs $9.99 per month, $24.99 per quarter, or $59.99 annually.
Here‘s a quick rundown of what you get as a PS Plus member:
- Online multiplayer gaming – Access online multiplayer modes in PS5, PS4 and PS3 games
- Monthly free games – Claim 2-3 free games each month to play as long as you‘re a member
- Exclusive discounts – Get special deals and discounts on games, add-ons, and more
- Cloud game storage – 100GB of cloud storage to backup your game saves
- Share Play – Share your gameplay with a friend and let them take control
- Game Help – Get tips and tricks for tough games and trophies
That covers the key features and benefits. The 7-day trial gives you full access to everything PS Plus has to offer so you can see first-hand how valuable it is.
Who Is Eligible for the Free Trial?
Sony offers the free PS Plus trial to new subscribers only. So as long as you meet these criteria, you should be eligible:
- Don‘t currently have an active PS Plus membership
- Have never previously used a free PS Plus trial
- Own a PlayStation Network account
- Have a valid payment method like a credit card or PayPal account
The trial is meant to let new users test out the service. If you‘ve been a member before or already used your one free trial, you won‘t be eligible again unfortunately. But if you‘re new to PS Plus, it‘s a great way to experience the benefits risk-free.
Step-By-Step Guide to Signing Up for the Free Trial
Signing up for the 7-day free PS Plus trial only takes a few minutes. Just follow these simple steps:
Turn on your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 and go to the PlayStation Store.
Scroll down and select the PlayStation Plus tab.
Choose one of the membership plan options. You can pick 1 month, 3 months, or 12 months.
Click or tap "Start Free Trial" and then "Confirm Purchase."
Enter your credit card or PayPal information when prompted. This is needed but you will NOT be charged unless you continue after the 7 days.
Go through the confirmation screens to fully activate your 7-day free trial membership.
That‘s it! The PS Plus trial will be activated and you‘ll have full access to all the benefits and features for one week at no cost.
Once you complete the steps, be sure to turn on auto-renewal if you think you‘ll want to continue with a paid membership after the trial ends. This ensures there is no disruption to your benefits.
Getting the Most Out of the 7-Day Free Trial
To maximize the value you get from the free trial, here are some tips and recommendations:
Download that month‘s PS Plus games – Be sure to claim and download the monthly free games so you can play them later if you decide to subscribe. The games are yours to keep as long as you remain a member.
Try online multiplayer – Since online multiplayer requires PS Plus, the trial is a good time to experience online gaming and see how you like it.
Check for discounts – Browse the PlayStation Store for deals and discounts to evaluate if the PS Plus pricing is worth it.
Use Share Play – Give Share Play a try by playing co-op or passing the controller virtually to a PS Plus friend.
Cloud storage – Upload important game saves like for RPGs to the cloud for safe keeping.
Set reminders – Set a calendar reminder on your phone a few days before the trial ends so you remember to cancel if you don‘t want to continue.
Provide feedback – Let Sony know what you think about PS Plus during the trial by taking their feedback survey. This helps them improve it.
Taking full advantage of all the benefits will give you a good sense of the PlayStation Plus service and its value.
What Happens When the 7-Day Free Trial Ends?
Once your 7-day free trial is over, here is what to expect:
Your subscription will automatically convert to a paid monthly membership.
The payment method you entered will be charged the current monthly fee, which is $9.99.
Monthly auto-renewal will be activated to keep charging you monthly until you cancel.
You‘ll continue having uninterrupted access to all PS Plus benefits as a paying subscriber.
So if you‘ve been enjoying PS Plus during the free trial, you won‘t have to do anything at the end of the 7 days to keep your access going. Just make sure you‘re okay with the recurring charges since it transitions seamlessly into a paid subscription.
However, if you decide PS Plus isn‘t worth it for you, be sure to turn off auto-renewal in your account settings to avoid unwanted charges down the road.
How to Cancel the Free Trial Before You‘re Charged
If you try out PS Plus but determine it‘s not worth the cost for you, cancelling is easy and prevents you from being charged at the end of the trial.
On a PS5 or PS4, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Account > Subscriptions and select your PS Plus subscription. Turn off auto-renewal.
On a web browser, visit account.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, sign in to your account, click on Subscriptions > PlayStation Plus, and turn off Auto-Renewal.
This will ensure your 7-day trial expires without converting into a paid membership. You‘ll lose access to the benefits when the week is over but won‘t be charged.
In summary, the PlayStation Plus free trial gives new subscribers 7 full days to experience everything PS Plus offers. It‘s a risk-free way to see if the benefits are worthwhile to you. Be sure to cancel auto-renewal if you don‘t want to continue after the trial. Enjoy your free week of PS Plus!
PlayStation Plus Free Trial – FAQ
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the PS Plus free trial:
Are there any other free trial options besides 7 days?
No, 7 days is the standard free trial period for new PlayStation Plus subscribers. There is no shorter or longer trial offered. Some regions may have special extended trials, but one week is the normal trial length.
What happens if I forget to cancel and get charged after the free trial?
If you forget to turn off auto-renewal and cancel before the 7 days are up, you will be charged the $9.99 monthly fee. But you can request a refund by contacting PlayStation Support as long as it has been less than 14 days since the charge.
Can I use the free trial more than once on the same account?
Unfortunately the PS Plus free trial can only be used once per PlayStation Network account. Even if it has been a long time, you cannot redeem another free trial with the same login credentials.
Are there any limitations during the free trial period?
No, the free trial gives you the full PS Plus experience with no restrictions. You have complete access to online multiplayer, free games, store discounts, Share Play, cloud storage, and all other benefits during your 7 days.
What happens to the free PS Plus games if I cancel after the trial?
The monthly free games you download during the trial will become locked and unplayable if you cancel and don‘t continue on with a paid membership after the 7 days. You lose access to the free game downloads when your subscription ends.
Can I use the free trial on both PS5 and PS4?
Yes, you can access your PS Plus free trial on both a PlayStation 5 and a PlayStation 4 system at the same time. Your membership is tied to your PSN account, so you can use it across generations.
Is the PS Now free trial also 7 days?
Yes, PlayStation Now which allows game streaming also offers new subscribers a 7-day free trial. It works the same way and gives you access to the Now game catalog for a week before you have to pay.
So in summary, the 7-day PS Plus trial gives you a solid free week to experience the benefits. Take advantage of the trial fully before the time runs out. And be sure to turn off auto-renewal if you don‘t want to continue with a paid membership afterwards. Happy gaming!
Expert Analysis on the Value of PlayStation Plus
As an avid gamer and industry analyst, here is my take on the real value PlayStation Plus provides for the monthly fee. In my opinion, it is well worth the $9.99 for most PlayStation gamers.
The online multiplayer access alone is extremely valuable. Playing online is a huge part of the experience for most gamers today. So locking that behind the PS Plus paywall incentivizes subscribers.
Sony is also very generous with the free monthly games. You usually get 2-3 solid titles spanning both PS5 and PS4. So signing up for one year nets you 24+ free games which more than offsets the $59.99 annual fee.
The Share Play feature is really convenient too. Not having to leave my house to play co-op games with friends has been great, especially during the pandemic. And being able to lend them my games virtually is awesome.
While Xbox provides more robust cloud storage, the 100GB PS Plus offers is sufficient for my needs. And the automatic uploading gives peace of mind that my save files are safe.
The PS Plus discounts vary in value, but I find them useful for impulse buying season passes, addons, and DLCs I‘m on the fence about. Even just 10% off helps tip the scale to purchase.
So in my opinion, the $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year is absolutely worth it for everything you get. The service has become more essential over time as gaming goes online. I hope this analysis from a PlayStation expert helps explain the real value PS Plus provides!