PS5 owners are set to lose out as the PS Plus Collection benefit is set to be axed in May, causing the service to lose even more value.
In its reveal of the PS Plus February 2023 lineup, Sony announced that it's removing the free PS Plus Collection which has been a perk for PS Plus members on PS5 since the console launched in 2020. The PS Plus collection is made up of 19 PS4 classics including Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Fallout 4, and The Last of Us Remastered, to name a few.
PS Plus members have until May 9 to add the games to their library before the PS Plus Collection is scrapped for good. This comes alongside Sony’s Q3 fiscal report which notes that PS Plus subscribers are up by 1million since last quarter – but this follows a loss of 2million subscribers at the end of September 2022. So the service has seen somewhat of an uptick over the past three months, although it's been losing members overall since the PS Plus relaunch in June 2022.
I don't think Sony is doing away with the PS Plus Collection entirely; we may see them join the more expensive PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Premium tiers, representing a huge dip in value for the PS Plus Essential tier. The good news is that once the PS Plus Collection games have been redeemed, you’ll still be able to play them as long as you’re subscribed to PS Plus. So make sure you remember to jump on that before May 9, 2023.
PS Plus Collection games leaving PS Plus
Some titles leaving the service include Bloodborne as well as blockbuster titles like God of War, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, and Ratchet & Clank. It's especially disappointing to lose these gems considering all three series have had new entries on the PS5 and provide a free and easy way to catch up before committing to buying the latest iterations in the franchises.
My favourite from the list of PS Plus Collection games is Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World, which offers hundreds of hours of gameplay. The value of a title like that – which has a heavy multiplayer focus – being given out for free cannot be understated. The same goes for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy which combines three PS1 classics into one bundle. For those watching The Last of Us TV series, you can grab The Last of Us Remastered if the show has piqued your interest. It'll save you dishing out £69.99 / $69.99 / AU$124.95 for the PS5 remake The Last of Us Part 1.
This news feels like yet another blow to PS Plus subscribers. The service already seems weak in comparison to Xbox Game Pass. It’s no wonder the service is haemorrhaging subscribers. Here's the complete list of PS Plus Collection games leaving the service on May 9, 2023:
Batman: Arkham Knight
Battlefield 1
Bloodborne
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – Zombies Chronicles Edition
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Days Gone
Detroit: Become Human
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy 15 Royal Edition
God of War
Infamous: Second Son
The Last Guardian
The Last of Us Remastered
Monster Hunter: World
Mortal Kombat X
Ratchet & Clank
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
