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Yes. You can generally play a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game without an internet connection after you have added it to your library, downloaded it completely, and authorized the console for offline use. Your PlayStation Plus membership must remain active. On PS5, turn on Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. On PS4, activate the console as your primary PS4.
If the membership expires, Sony removes access to Monthly Games obtained at no extra cost. A game bought with a Plus discount is different: that purchase remains yours, although any online features may still require a connection and a subscription.
What offline play includes
Offline play means the game is installed on the console and can start without an active internet connection. It does not mean every part of the game works without a network. A single-player campaign, local multiplayer and other self-contained features can work offline when the license is valid. Online multiplayer, cloud saves, cloud streaming, live-service functions, leaderboards and downloads of updates require network access, and some require an active Plus plan as well.
Sony describes Monthly Games as titles available to download and play at no extra cost during your PlayStation Plus membership. New Monthly Games are added every calendar month. The practical consequence is that you must claim the title while it is offered, then install it before disconnecting. Simply seeing a game in the Monthly Games section does not grant an offline copy.
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Conditions to satisfy before going offline
1. Claim the game while your membership is active
Open the Monthly Games section on the PlayStation Store or your console, select the game and choose the option to add it to your library. Do this before the monthly offer changes. Once it is in your library, it remains associated with your Plus entitlement while the membership stays active, even if you do not install it immediately.
2. Download the complete game
Start the download while you have a reliable connection and wait until the console reports that installation is complete. A partially downloaded game, an add-on that has not finished installing or a title waiting for a required update may not be usable when you are offline. Check the game from the home screen and confirm that it launches before disconnecting; this also catches missing language packs or content licenses that need to be fetched.
3. Authorize the console for offline use
Authorization tells Sony which console can use your digital licenses without a live connection. The setting differs by platform, and it applies to the account that claimed the game.
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- Sign in to the PlayStation Network account that has the PlayStation Plus membership and claimed the Monthly Game.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Choose Other.
- Select Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Choose Enable if the setting is currently disabled.
With this option enabled, anyone using that PS5 can play your downloaded games and use supported benefits while the console is offline. Sony permits only one PS5 at a time to have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled for an account. Enabling it on a different PS5 moves the authorization; it does not create unlimited offline copies on multiple consoles.
If the option is already enabled on another PS5, disable it there first or use the account-management tools Sony provides for deactivation. A console that is not the authorized PS5 may ask for a network connection to verify the license.
How to enable offline access on PS4
- Sign in with the account that claimed the Monthly Game.
- Open Settings from the PS4 function screen.
- Select Account Management.
- Choose Activate as Your Primary PS4.
- Select Activate and follow the confirmation prompts.
Sony’s sharing rules treat a PS4 activated as your primary PS4 as the PS4 equivalent of the PS5 offline setting. Downloaded Monthly Games can be used on that console, including by other local users subject to Sony’s sharing rules. One account can have only one primary PS4 at a time. If you replace the console, deactivate the old one before activating the new one when possible.
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What happens when PlayStation Plus expires?
Expiration removes the Plus entitlement, not merely the ability to download new games. Sony states that when a PlayStation Plus subscription ends, you lose Plus benefits including Monthly Games, online storage and online multiplayer. Content obtained at no cost through the subscription, such as a Monthly Game, is unavailable until the membership is active again.
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The installed files may remain on the storage drive, but the console can show a padlock or prevent launch because the license is no longer valid. Renewing the membership restores access to Monthly Games that are still associated with the account; you do not normally need to download the entire game again unless the installation was deleted or damaged.
A game purchased with a Plus discount follows a different rule. The discounted transaction is a purchase, so the title remains in your library after Plus expires. The discount itself does not convert a no-cost Monthly Game into an owned purchase.
| How you obtained the title | After Plus expires | Offline status while active |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Game claimed at no extra cost | Access is removed until the membership is active again. | Playable after download and console authorization. |
| Game bought with a Plus discount | The purchase remains yours. | Playable offline after installation, subject to the normal console license. |
| Extra or Premium Game Catalog title | Access ends if the membership tier ends or the title leaves the catalog. | Playable offline only while the tier and catalog license remain valid. |
| Cloud-streamed title | Streaming entitlement follows the applicable plan and service availability. | Not an offline method; streaming requires a network connection. |
Monthly Games versus the Game Catalog
These labels describe different licensing systems. Monthly Games are claimed during a particular month and remain available to you while Plus is active. The Extra and Premium Game Catalogs are rotating libraries: you can download included titles while your corresponding tier is active, but Sony can remove individual games from the catalog. A downloaded catalog game can therefore stop launching even though your subscription has not expired if the title leaves the service.
| Question | Monthly Games | Game Catalog or Classics Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| When do you get the license? | Claim the title during its monthly offer. | Download or add it while it is listed in the catalog. |
| Which plan is needed? | The active PlayStation Plus plan that offers Monthly Games. | The corresponding Extra or Premium tier, depending on the title. |
| Can Sony remove the title while you remain subscribed? | The monthly claim remains tied to your membership. | Yes. Catalog availability can end for an individual game. |
| Does downloading make it permanently owned? | No. It is a subscription benefit, not a purchase. | No. It remains a catalog license, not a purchase. |
Which features work without an internet connection?
| Feature | Offline? | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Installed single-player content | Usually yes | The title must be claimed, fully installed and covered by a valid license on an authorized console. |
| Local multiplayer | Usually yes | Game-specific limits still apply, and each player may need a controller or local profile. |
| Online multiplayer | No | It needs network access and normally an active Plus membership, except for games whose publisher or Sony exempts them. |
| Cloud saves | No for synchronization | You can use local save data offline, but uploading or downloading cloud saves waits until you reconnect. |
| Cloud streaming | No | Sony lists at least 5 Mbps broadband, and 15 Mbps for 1080p streaming. Streaming is not a way to play without internet. |
| Store browsing, claiming and downloading | No | These actions require a connection and a signed-in account. |
Game-specific requirements can be stricter. A title with a mandatory online check, server-hosted progression or an always-online mode may not provide a complete offline experience even when its Plus license is valid.
Can you share a Monthly Game with another console?
On PS5, Sony allows sharing on the single console where Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled. Other users on that PS5 can play downloaded games associated with the account, including eligible Monthly Games. The account owner can still sign in on another PS5 to use the account, but that second PS5 does not receive the same offline-sharing authorization.
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On PS4, sharing works on the one console activated as the account’s primary PS4. Other local users on that primary console can use eligible downloaded games. A second PS4 that is not primary may require the purchasing account to be online and signed in, and changing the primary designation affects the previous console.
Sharing does not transfer ownership. If the subscribing account’s membership ends, the shared Monthly Game becomes unavailable on the authorized console as well. Each console must also have the game fully downloaded; sharing a license does not copy the installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is a downloaded Plus game showing a padlock?
A padlock usually means the console cannot confirm a usable license. Work through these checks in order:
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- Confirm the membership. On the account page, verify that the PlayStation Plus subscription is active and that you are using the account that claimed the game.
- Check the game type. Determine whether it is a Monthly Game, a catalog title or a discounted purchase. A catalog title may have left the service even when your plan is still active.
- Check console authorization. On PS5, revisit Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. On PS4, verify Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4.
- Reconnect briefly. Sign in, let the console connect to PlayStation Network and start the game once. This can refresh an entitlement that was not available when you went offline.
- Restore licenses. Use the console’s account or system menu option to restore licenses, then restart the console. This is useful when the account owns the entitlement but the local license record is out of date.
- Check service status. A PlayStation Network outage can prevent license verification even when your subscription is valid. Wait for the service to recover before changing console activations.
- Reinstall only as a last resort. If the license is valid but the installation is corrupted, delete and download the game again while online. Back up local saves first; deleting a game does not automatically delete its saves, but checking the prompt avoids mistakes.
If the membership expired or the catalog listing ended, restoring licenses cannot reinstate the entitlement. Renewing the required plan or buying the game is the appropriate fix.
Preparation checklist for travel or an outage
- Claim every Monthly Game you want before its monthly offer ends.
- Install the full game and any required content while online.
- Launch it once before leaving, using the account that claimed it.
- Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on the intended PS5, or activate the intended PS4 as primary.
- Leave enough storage for updates and downloadable expansions you may need.
- Keep the PlayStation Plus membership active for the entire offline period.
- Download local saves if you need them; cloud synchronization will wait until the next connection.
- Do not rely on cloud streaming, online multiplayer or a game with mandatory server checks.
These steps make the console’s local installation and license state ready before the connection disappears. They cannot extend a subscription, preserve a catalog game after it leaves the service or turn a streaming entitlement into a permanent download.
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