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Game Catalog

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games vs. Game Catalog: What’s the Difference?

Monthly Games must be claimed and remain playable with an active membership; the rotating Game Catalog requires Extra or Premium and titles can leave the service.

By VGSources Team 3 min read
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Monthly Games are offers you must claim to add to your library; the Game Catalog is a separate, rotating library you can browse while subscribed to an eligible plan. Monthly Games are included with Essential, Extra, and Premium. The Game Catalog requires Extra or Premium. A claimed Monthly Game remains playable while your membership is active, but a Game Catalog game can stop being available when it leaves the service.

How the two PlayStation Plus benefits differ

Question Monthly Games Game Catalog
What is it? A selection of game offers updated each calendar month. A larger, rotating library of hundreds of games, according to PlayStation’s catalog page.
Which plans include it? Essential, Extra, and Premium. Extra and Premium; it is not included with Essential.
What do I need to do? Add each offered game to your library during its offer period. Find an available title in the catalog and download it or, where supported, stream it.
How long can I play? While your membership is active, once claimed. While your plan remains eligible and the title remains in the service.
Can I download or stream? PlayStation Support describes downloads to PS4 and PS5, including starting a download remotely through a browser or the PlayStation App. Most library games can be downloaded. Premium can stream many catalog games, subject to platform, title, and geographic availability.

Do you have to claim Monthly Games?

Yes. Add each Monthly Game to your library during its offer period. PlayStation Support says, “New games are added every calendar month.” Claiming is distinct from downloading: once a game is in your library, you can download it to a supported console later, while your membership is active.

On PS5, go to PlayStation Plus > Benefits > Monthly Games. On PS4, go to PlayStation Plus > Monthly Games, select a game, then choose Add to Library. You can also select a game for remote download through a browser or the PlayStation App. See PlayStation’s guide to accessing PlayStation Plus games for current steps.

The official guides do not set one universal claim-window length. Check the current offer for its availability rather than assuming every month’s games can be claimed for the same number of days.

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Do you keep Monthly Games after the offer ends?

If you added a Monthly Game to your library while it was offered, you can keep playing it while your PlayStation Plus membership is active. The game does not become permanently yours: access depends on an active membership. If you did not claim it during the offer period, it is no longer available as that month’s offer.

Can you play Game Catalog games with Essential?

No. Essential includes Monthly Games, but Game Catalog access is part of Extra and Premium. Extra adds the Game Catalog to Essential’s benefits; Premium includes the Game Catalog as well as the Classics Catalog, game trials, and cloud-streaming features in supported regions. Streaming does not apply to every title or platform.

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To choose between plans, consider whether the currently available Game Catalog games interest you enough to justify Extra over Essential. Premium’s additional catalogs, trials, and streaming options matter only if the relevant games and features are available in your region and on your platform. Plan benefits and availability are summarized on PlayStation Plus Support.

Do Game Catalog games leave PlayStation Plus?

Yes. The Game Catalog rotates: a title can leave even while your subscription continues. Check the current game listing and any announced removal date before starting a game you hope to finish. PlayStation’s official pages do not establish a universal notice period for removals.

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Can you download or stream these games?

Most games in the PlayStation Plus libraries can be downloaded. Premium members can stream many Game Catalog and Classics Catalog games where streaming is supported. Availability depends on the game, platform, and geographic region; some Classics Catalog games, including a selection of PS3 titles, are streaming-only. Check an individual title’s listing for its available play options.

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