Hey there! If you‘re an avid PlayStation gamer like me, you may have heard about the new PlayStation Plus Extra membership and wondered – can I get a free trial to test it out?
The short answer is: Yes, new PlayStation Plus members can get a 7-day free trial of the Extra tier when you first sign up.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about getting and using the PlayStation Plus Extra free trial so you can decide if the premium membership is worth it.
What is PlayStation Plus Extra?
PlayStation Plus underwent a major revamp in June 2022 and now offers three membership tiers:
Essential – Base tier with online play, monthly games, and exclusive discounts.
Extra – Mid-tier with all Essential benefits plus a catalog of 400+ downloadable PS4 and PS5 games.
Premium – Top tier with highest number of game downloads, game streaming, and classic games.
PlayStation Plus Extra sits in the middle as the mid-range option. The main draw is access to the huge catalog of PS4 and PS5 game downloads.
Here‘s a quick overview of everything included with a PlayStation Plus Extra membership:
- Online multiplayer gaming
- Monthly PS Plus games (2 PS4 & 1 PS5)
- Exclusive discounts on PlayStation Store
- 100GB cloud storage for game saves
- Game catalog of 400+ PS4 & PS5 games to download
The large on-demand game catalog is the unique perk you get with PlayStation Plus Extra. And the free trial lets you experience it firsthand.
How the 7-day PlayStation Plus Extra free trial works
Here are the full details on how to get and use the free trial:
New members only – The 7-day free trial is only for brand new PlayStation Plus joiners, not existing members.
All Extra perks – You get full access to all PlayStation Plus Extra benefits during the trial.
No payment info – No payment method needs to be added to start the trial.
No auto-renew – It won‘t automatically progress to a paid membership without you explicitly continuing after the trial.
Game progress saved – Any trophies or game progress remains if you decide to subscribe fully later.
So in summary, new PlayStation Plus members like yourself can access a 7-day PlayStation Plus Extra free trial with no strings attached!
Here are the steps to get started with the free trial:
Go to PlayStation Store and select the PlayStation Plus hub.
Choose the Extra monthly, quarterly or annual membership plan.
Complete the signup process for the free trial.
Download and play games from the Extra catalog during the 7-day trial.
Turn off auto-renew if you don‘t want to continue after the trial ends.
Pretty simple right? It‘s a great way to experience PlayStation Plus Extra risk-free!
What game library is included with the Extra trial?
Now, let‘s talk about the actual game catalog you gain access to, since that‘s the big draw of PlayStation Plus Extra.
The Extra game catalog spans over 400 PS4 and PS5 games across a variety of genres from both first and third-party publishers.
New games are added each month, while older games get rotated out. So the library is constantly evolving.
Based on a November 2022 count, here‘s the breakdown of titles available:
294 PS4 games – Massive selection of last-gen PS4 hits.
142 PS5 games – All the latest next-gen experiences.
28 genres – Huge variety from action to sports & racing.
That‘s a ton of gaming goodness! Here are some of the top PlayStation console exclusives in the Extra catalog right now:
PlayStation Studios hits like The Last of Us Remastered, Returnal, Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Critically acclaimed games like Ghost of Tsushima Director‘s Cut, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Highly-rated PlayStation exclusives such as Days Gone, Bloodborne, Sackboy: A Big Adventure
And major third-party cross-platform titles are included too like Red Dead Redemption 2, NBA 2K22, Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla and more.
The Extra trial gives you full access to download and play any titles from this massive catalog, so you can test out the variety and depth of gaming content available.
How many hours of gameplay does the catalog provide?
To give an idea of just how much gameplay value PlayStation Plus Extra offers, let‘s take a look at some estimated hour totals for completing the full game catalog.
- 294 PS4 games at 25 hours average per game = 7,350 hours
- 142 PS5 games at 30 hours average per game = 4,260 hours
Total completion time: ~11,610 hours!
Obviously playing every single game to completion would take years. But it shows the staggering amount of gameplay included for a relatively low monthly price.
And these are full-fledged $60-$70 titles across different genres from AAA epics to indie hits. Having access to all these games for a flat monthly rate is a gamer‘s dream!
You can experience a taste through the free trial. Even playing just 10% of the catalog during the 7 days will give you a good idea of the diversity and depth included.
Can you play Extra games offline?
One common question around the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog is whether an internet connection is required to play the downloaded games.
The good news is yes, the Extra games can be played offline once fully downloaded.
Here‘s how it works:
Your PS4 or PS5 will initially connect online to verify your PlayStation Plus subscription and download any games you select from the catalog.
But once fully downloaded to your console, you can play those Extra games offline without an active internet connection.
Your offline play sessions will sync up with PlayStation Network for trophy progress etc. next time you go back online.
So the Extra catalog isn‘t like a Netflix-style streaming service. The games are downloaded locally so you can play offline whenever needed – like on a plane or somewhere without stable internet. Handy for gaming on the go!
This is a key advantage PlayStation Plus Extra has over the higher Premium tier, which relies on game streaming. Try downloading some big games during the free trial to see offline play in action.
What happens when the free trial ends?
After your 7-day PlayStation Plus Extra free trial concludes, your membership will automatically continue on a paid subscription basis.
The duration and pricing you chose initially (monthly, quarterly or annual) will now take effect going forward.
For example, if you selected a 1 month Extra membership for the trial, you‘ll now be charged the regular $14.99 monthly fee after the first 7 days unless you cancel.
To avoid that, you‘ll need to turn off auto-renewal for your PlayStation Plus membership before the trial ends if you don‘t want to continue. Here‘s how:
Go to account settings in PlayStation Network.
Select "Subscriptions."
Choose your PlayStation Plus membership.
Toggle auto-renewal off.
This will ensure your access ends with the free trial and you don‘t get charged.
However, any game save data or earned trophies will remain on your account. So your game progress isn‘t lost if you decide to rejoin PlayStation Plus later on.
Can you get the free trial if you already have PS Plus?
Now you might be wondering – what if you‘re an existing PlayStation Plus subscriber already? Can you get in on the free Extra trial?
Unfortunately, the 7-day new member trial is only for entirely new PlayStation Plus joiners, not current members looking to upgrade their tier.
But existing members aren‘t completely left out in the cold. Here are a couple options if you want to test out PlayStation Plus Extra:
1. Direct tier upgrade
You can upgrade from your current Essential tier membership directly to Extra to gain immediate access.
Your remaining subscription duration just converts over to Extra access. So you won‘t lose any membership time.
2. Restart membership
Alternatively, you can let your current PlayStation Plus membership expire first.
Then when it comes time to renew, choose a new Extra subscription and you‘ll be eligible for the 7-day trial as a new member again.
While not as convenient as a direct trial, these do allow existing PlayStation Plus users to preview Extra risk-free before committing.
My advice would be to wait for your renewal since that route gets you the free trial. Unless you urgently want to play the Extra game catalog right now.
Can you extend the trial?
Now you might be wondering…is there any way to extend the 7-day trial to get more time to evaluate PlayStation Plus Extra?
The short answer is no unfortunately – 7 consecutive days is the maximum trial duration you can receive.
Sony has mechanisms in place to prevent people from repeatedly creating new PSN accounts to chain together multiple back-to-back trials.
While not ideal for us gamers, it does make business sense from their perspective. The free trial is intended as a set sampling of Extra – not indefinite free access.
A few things that won‘t work:
Creating new accounts for repeat trials (Sony has countermeasures)
Cancelling and resubscribing on the same account
Trying to modify your account details to extend the trial
The only supported path is the standard 7-day trial when first joining PlayStation Plus. There‘s no known "hacks" to get around that.
My advice is to maximize the 7 days you get by downloading and testing a variety of Extra catalog titles during your trial. This will give you the best sense of the overall value.
Is PlayStation Plus Extra worth it?
So based on everything we‘ve discussed, should you spring for a paid PlayStation Plus Extra membership after sampling the free trial?
Here‘s a quick pros vs cons rundown:
Pros
- Huge game catalog value for a low monthly price
- Big savings compared to buying games individually
- Play brand new Sony exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West
- Constantly updated with fresh PS4 and PS5 games
- Enabled offline play once games are downloaded
- Keep games for as long as you‘re a member
Cons
- Doesn‘t include absolutely every PS game ever made
- Can‘t play games if membership lapses
- Monthly cost is an ongoing expense
Overall, I think the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Access to 400+ games for ~$15 month is exceptional value compared to the $60-$70 cost of new releases.
Having a constantly evolving library of hundreds of titles spanning both PS4 and PS5 genres is like the all-you-can-eat buffet of gaming!
So based on the depth of content offered, I feel PlayStation Plus Extra provides tremendous value. But try it yourself during the free trial to see if the game selection suits your personal tastes.
Key Takeaways
To summarize everything we‘ve covered about accessing the PlayStation Plus Extra free trial:
New PlayStation Plus members can get a 7-day free trial of Extra when signing up
The trial gives full access to all Extra perks like hundreds of game downloads
The massive 400+ game catalog includes exclusives, new releases, and diverse genres
Once downloaded, Extra games can be played offline without an internet connection
Progress carries over if you upgrade to a paid Extra subscription after the trial
Existing PS Plus members can upgrade directly or wait until renewal for the trial
So be sure to leverage the free trial to experience PlayStation Plus Extra for yourself before paying. I hope this detailed guide gives you all the knowledge you need to put the new membership tier to the test!
Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy the trial, and happy gaming!