Sony is offering select PS Plus members a free 14-day trial of the Premium tier. This time, the offer is being sent via console notifications rather than emails, which can easily be overlooked and missed. Players should check their console inbox before the offer disappears.

Who is eligible for free PS Plus Premium July 2024 offer?

As usual, the offer is being sent out at random. One Reddit user reported that they received the offer when their existing PS Plus Premium membership had been expired for at least two days. They didn’t notice the offer and ended up renewing their subscription.

Do note that PS5 notification pop ups can be a little wonky, so it’s best to manually check via the console’s control panel to avoid the situation above.

Another user said that they received the free 14-day Premium voucher after they renewed their PS Plus Essential subscription for a year. However, Sony also offered to convert their 12 months of Essential to 182 days of Premium. At the moment, we can’t confirm if Sony will allow reverting back to Essential once the 14-day trial is up.

To be safe, we recommend availing the free Premium trial only if your membership has run out and you don’t have automatic billing turned on.

The post Select PS Plus Members Getting Free 14 Days of Premium appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed PS Plus Essential July 2024 games lineup. It’s a good month for those looking to sink some time into a game or two over the summer, with Borderlands 3, NHL 24, and Among Us on offer.

PS Plus Essential July 2024 games come alongside bonus freebies

All three aforementioned games with offer both PS4 and PS5 versions, and will go live on Tuesday, July 2nd. Members have until July 1st to claim June’s lineup, which includes SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake, AEW Fight Forever and Streets of Rage 4.

As a reminder, Essential games are yours to keep for good as long as your PS Plus membership is active, so make sure to add the aforementioned games to your libraries even if you won’t get around to playing them anytime soon.

As for the bonus freebies, Genshin Impact players can grab a special PS Plus bundle starting July 16th. The bundle, which can be redeemed via the PS Store, includes the following:

• Primogems × 160
• Fragile Resin × 4
• Hero’s Wit × 20
• Mystic Enhancement Ore × 30
• Mora × 150,000

In addition to the above, those who purchase 12 months of any PS Plus tier will get movie credits to use on the Sony Pictures Core app starting later today.

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Following years of fan requests, Sony has finally deployed a revised PS2 emulator to bring classics to PS5, but tech experts over at Digital Foundry say that the effort is disappointing. Tech tests reveal issues like poor video upscaling, notable glitches, and jittery performance.

PS2 emulator on PS5 has issues that unofficial emulators have been able to resolve

Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry says that some of the issues experienced while playing PS2 games on the PS5 have been around for a number of years, so it’s a little baffling that Sony hasn’t addressed them yet.

Video upscaling in Tomb Raider, for example, is so bad that it’s noticeable on the UI. The output is blurry, stretched, and fuzzy. There are also some glaring glitches, which hurt the experience. Digital Foundry pointed out that an entire level in Sly Cooper plays without music on the PS5.

Interestingly, the retro emulation community has resolved much of the problems that PS2 classics face on modern consoles, but the official emulator hasn’t. As an example, Digital Foundry says that RetroTink 4K is a third-party upscaler that makes PS2 games look better even on the PS2 itself, let alone modern consoles.

“It feels like Sony simply doesn’t want to spend the time to present its classic titles at their absolute best,” the scathing analysis concludes.

The post Sony’s PS2 Emulator on PS5 Is a Technical Disappointment, Experts Say appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

PS2’s Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus has instantly become PS Plus Premium‘s most popular classic game thus far. Launched as part of the June 2024 lineup, Sucker Punch Productions’ 2002 outing has surpassed previous record-holder, The Legend of Dragoon, according to data obtained by TrueTrophies.

PS2 classics highly demanded by PS Plus Premium users

In partnership with data tracker Game Insights, TrueTrophies analyzed gameplay data from over 3.1 million active PSN accounts to find that Sly Cooper beat The Legend of Dragoon with a 2.5% higher player count at launch.

Taking into account both PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium overall lineups — not just classics — Sly Cooper is now the eighth biggest PS Plus game of 2024 thus far (not counting Essential games).

PS2 classics have long been requested by PS Plus Premium members. Emulation roadblocks previously prevented Sony from releasing PS2 games on the PS4 and PS5, and all Premium players got were PS1 and PSP classics. Sony has since reportedly partnered with an external emulation company to bring beloved PS2 classics to modern consoles — a move unanimously welcomed by members.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus came to PS Plus Premium complete with a trophy set, and is also available for standalone purchase.

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The list of games leaving PS Plus Extra and Premium in July 2024 has been revealed alongside the release of this month’s new games. A total of six games have been listed as leaving the service so far, with a couple of big-name titles among the departures.

Last chance to play these PS Plus Extra, Premium games before July 2024

These are the six games leaving PS Plus Extra and Premium next month:

• Dysmantle
• Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of Sh1ft3r
• Kingdom Two Crowns
• My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure
• Saints Row IV Re-Elected
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Next Level Edition

Players have until July 15 to finish these games through PS Plus Extra and Premium subscriptions. The games will need to be purchased beyond this date if more time is needed, although progress will be carried over to the full game. None of the six games are discounted in the PlayStation Store at the moment.

While there are currently only six games due to leave in July, there is a chance that more games will be added to the list throughout the next few weeks. The 12 games that left PS Plus today were the same as those announced on May 23, but previous months have seen extra games constantly added to the list.

The good news is that 10 games were added to PS Plus Extra today, with an extra four titles bringing the total of new games to 14 for PS Plus Premium members. All of the PS Plus Extra games have trophies anyway, as does the PSVR 2 title for Premium members. However, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy does not have any trophies, meaning Daxter and Ghosthunter are the only retro games to be added with new trophy lists.

The post List of Games Leaving PS Plus Extra, Premium in July 2024 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

PS Plus Premium subscribers can play a big chunk of Stellar Blade for free right now. The game already has a demo on the PS Store, the progress from which carries over. Add to that the current game trial, and players have plenty to get their hands on.

How to play several hours of Stellar Blade for free

The PS Plus Premium game trial is two hours long. Before starting the trial, you can check out the demo and carry your progress over. The demo itself is about an hour long. Should you purchase the full game, everything from both the demo and trial will carry over.

Stellar Blade’s main story takes about 20-22 hours to beat, but those who want to dabble into side quests will be spending about 40 hours. We do recommend getting those side quests done if you purchase the full game because Stellar Blade’s bosses aren’t exactly pushovers.

Stellar Blade is also currently part of the PlayStation Stars rewards program. Unfortunately, however, PlayStation Stars has been offline for about a week, so if you want to redeem your points towards the game, you’ll have to wait. Sony has acknowledged the issue and is working on a fix.

The post Stellar Blade Gets Big PS Plus Premium Game Trial appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony has officially revealed the PS Plus games for June 2024. Available to subscribers on June 18, the lineup includes 2006’s Daxter and 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise. The other 12 games are an eclectic mix of shooters, strategy games, and more genres. There are even three different LEGO titles.

What are the PS Plus games for June?

Sony’s PS Plus games announced for June include 14 titles, ten of which are available for both PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. The remaining four are only for Premium subscribers, with three being classics from the PS2 and PSP.

The following games are available for PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers:

• Monster Hunter Rise (PS4, PS5)
• Football Manager 2024 (PS5)
• Crusader Kings III (PS5)
• Monster Energy Supercross (PS4, PS5)
• After Us (PS5)
• Anno 1800 (PS5)
• Police Simulator: Patrol Officers (PS4, PS5)
• Far Cry 4 (PS4)
• LEGO The Hobbit (PS4)
• LEGO The Incredibles (PS4)

The following games are available for PS Plus Premium subscribers:

• Kayak VR: Mirage (PS VR2)
• LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS4, PS5)
• Ghosthunter (PS4, PS5)
• Daxter (PS4, PS5)

Monster Hunter Rise and Far Cry 4 are the biggest names on the list. Released in 2021, Rise is the latest mainline installment in Capcom’s Monster Hunter action RPG franchise. Meanwhile, Far Cry 4 is the 2014 installment of Ubisoft’s open-world first-person shooter series. Both games saw a generally positive critical reception.

Meanwhile, strategy fans might want to check out the PS5 version of Crusader Kings III and Anno 1800. The former puts players in charge of a family of medieval lords, navigating warfare and court intrigue to build their legacy. Meanwhile, Ubisoft’s Anno 1800 combines city-building and real-time strategy against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution.

Among the classic games Sony is adding to PlayStation Premium, Daxter and LEGO Star Wars II are the major standouts. Released on PSP in 2006, Daxter takes place during the two-year time skip in the opening cutscene of 2003’s Jak II. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy released the same year, adapting A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

The post PS Plus Games for June Include Daxter, Monster Hunter, and More appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

While Sony has been making good on its promise to add trophies for PS Plus Premium classics, subscribers have been surprised by retroactive trophy patches for third-party games. First-party classics have been launching with trophy lists but third parties were allowed to skip the extra step.

List of PS Plus Premium classics that have received trophies

Starting today, PS Plus Premium subscribers will get access to three PS2 games as part of their catalog: Tomb Raider Legend, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. While we expected Sly Cooper to get trophy support, third-party games Tomb Raider Legend and Star Wars: The Clone Wars also came with trophies this time.

What’s more is that previously-released third-party classics have been updated with trophy lists, as picked up by PSNProfiles. The recipients of the patches are: Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, Toy Story 3, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, and Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus.

This is quite a significant development, and gives us hope that other third-party classics, like Tekken, will also receive trophies eventually. Sony had previously said that trophy support has been left to developers’ discretion.

We’ll keep our fingers crossed for more patches and keep our readers posted.

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Sony has revealed one of the games headed to PS Plus Extra and Premium in June 2024 as part of the regular lineup. Not to be confused with June’s bonus games from the ongoing Days of Play campaign, the month’s regular catalog additions will be announced in full later. For now, players can expect to see Ubisoft’s Anno 1800 join the service.

When to expect PS Plus Extra, Premium June 2024’s full games lineup

The complete catalog update is expected be announced next week. However, Sony confirmed Anno 1800’s addition early. The game will be joining the Ubisoft+ Classics catalog, which is included in Extra and Premium memberships at no additional cost.

As for the Days of Play campaign, many of the bonus PS Plus games have already gone live. Cricket 24 goes live for Extra and Premium today whereas PSVR 2 additions for Premium members will go live tomorrow, June 6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition will join Extra and Premium on June 7, and finally, PS2 bonus games for Premium subscribers will become available starting June 11.

You can check out the full list of bonus PS Plus Extra and Premium games in our previous article.

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The latest Days of Play 2024 PS Plus discount offers have left a large number of players disappointed. Ever since the service’s revamp, PS Plus discounts have largely been targeted offers, and stacking at a reduced cost seems to be a thing of the past. But yesterday’s Days of Play deals have really riled some folks up.

PS Plus Days of Play discount offers: The fine print

Sony said yesterday that only new players who join PS Plus will get up to 30% off on 12-month plans. For some reason, existing members and those with expired memberships thought that they, too, would be eligible for the offer, only to end up being disappointed with discounts to the tune of €0.49, as is the case with this Reddit user.

According to Sony, existing PS Plus Essential members can get 25% off on Extra or 30% off on Premium should they upgrade between May 29 and June 12. But quite a few folks missed the part where the PS Blog mentioned that the discount will apply “for the remainder of their membership.” In other words, if you only have one month of Essential left, you won’t be getting 25% off on a 12-month Extra plan or a 30% discount on 12 months of Premium, like this user just learned.

And no, you cannot stack PS Plus with the Days of Play discount, sorry. But you can get 15% off of Sony Pictures Core content.

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