The benefits of PlayStation Plus

Like many things in this world everything costs money to enjoy it. Entertainment and gaming is no different to this. PlayStation users have to sign up to the service PlayStation Plus to help enhance their gaming experience but with a subscription fee attached to that of using the service, is it really that worth it? Can you still have the same experience if you just played offline?

History of PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus (PS+) was first introduced in 2010, not long after the release of the PS3 which was stepping into the world of online by introducing the PlayStation Network (PSN). Although you had to pay for the service, you got more benefits than people who continued to access the PSN without a subscription.

These benefits included many that we see as standard today but access to free games, the first being Wipeout HD, as well as having discount on the PS store and the ability to have a full trial before purchasing a game were all a step in a different direction.

It paved the way for the subscription service that we know today and why Sony made the decision to make the subscription mandatory in 2013.

However, with a steady increase in prices it can feel hard to justify paying the fee each year. So why keep subscribing? 

Gaming online

Gaming online is the done thing these days and the days of face to face gaming seem to be way in the past. So there is a big emphasis from gaming companies to push their online services with games such as Fortnite, FIFA and Call of Duty Warzone favouring the online version over any kind of story mode for offline users.

With gaming online you are connected to everyone else in the world and that is how we live our lives with the likes of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram keeping us close to people we know and people we do not know.

PS+ is no different in that sense because it enables you to play online with your friends or even random people from all over the world. When playing online, certain games offers rankings systems  in game which make you want to come back and play more; progress like that of a story mode.

Free monthly games

This has to be one of the biggest benefits of PS+ as the standard of games has increased dramatically over time. It may seem like you have to wait for some newer games to be released but it is well worth it. Many sports game enthusiasts have noticed a trend that the latest addition of their favourite franchise has been cropping up on the monthly games list around April/May meaning they do not have to fork out on an overpriced game for slight updates from the previous version.

More reliable service

Since the change for all players to have PS+ you can see a dramatic improvement in the service that Sony supplies with online gaming basically seamless. They ensure that there is a great enjoyable experience for the user.

Share play

This is a really fun function that PlayStation has added. Although it might not be sustainable if you and your friends are big online gamers but for dropping in and seeing what the fuss is about with a certain game it certainly is.

Share Play is when a friend can view your screen as a visitor for 60 minutes and even have control of the game during that time. It is like having them in the room with you.