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To claim a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game, open Games home > PlayStation Plus > Benefits > Monthly Games on PS5, select a title, and choose Download. On PS4, open PlayStation Plus > Monthly Games, select the game, choose Add to Library, then select Download. You can also start the download from a web browser or the PlayStation App.

These games are included at no extra game charge while your PlayStation Plus membership remains active. They are different from free-to-play Store games, which do not require a PlayStation Plus subscription for the game itself, although they may sell optional in-app items.

What “free” means on the PlayStation Store

PlayStation uses “free” for more than one kind of offer. The distinction determines whether you need a subscription, whether the game remains available after a membership ends, and which menu you should use.

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PlayStation Plus Monthly Games

Monthly Games are games included with an active PlayStation Plus membership. PlayStation Support describes them as games you can “download and play at no extra cost during your PlayStation Plus membership.” New Monthly Games are added every calendar month. You claim the entitlement to your account and download the game to a PS5 or PS4.

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A Monthly Game is not a permanently free purchase detached from PlayStation Plus. If your membership expires, access to the claimed Monthly Game is suspended. Renewing the membership restores access to games that are still associated with your account; deleting a downloaded game does not remove the claim.

Free-to-play Store games

A free-to-play game has a store price of zero and can be downloaded without PlayStation Plus. It is a separate category from a Monthly Game. PlayStation’s terms warn that a downloaded free-to-use product may include options to buy additional products through the PlayStation Network wallet.

Some free-to-play games are exceptions to the normal PlayStation Plus requirement for online multiplayer. The exception is title-specific, so check the game’s Store page and the current PlayStation terms rather than assuming that every online game is exempt.

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PlayStation Plus Game Catalog titles

The Game Catalog is a separate benefit from Monthly Games. Catalog access is included with PlayStation Plus Extra and with the top tier called Premium or Deluxe, depending on your region. You select an eligible Catalog game and choose Download on the console. Catalog availability can change, so access depends on the game remaining in the service and on your plan.

Some Catalog games can also be streamed when the appropriate plan and regional service support are available. Streaming is not the same as downloading: the game runs from the service, while a download installs it on your console.

Check your PlayStation Plus plan first

Your plan controls which kind of “free” game you can claim. The following comparison reflects the benefits described by PlayStation Support.

Plan Monthly Games Game Catalog Classics Catalog and game trials
Essential Included Not included Not included
Extra Included Included Not included
Premium/Deluxe Included Included Included

The highest tier is called Premium in some regions and Deluxe in others. The name does not change the basic workflow: Monthly Games are claimed from the Monthly Games area, while Catalog games are selected from the Game Catalog.

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Claim a Monthly Game on PS5

Use the PS5 menu path below when the game is part of the current Monthly Games lineup.

  1. Sign in to the PlayStation Network account that has the active PlayStation Plus membership.
  2. From the PS5 home screen, open Games home.
  3. Select PlayStation Plus.
  4. Open Benefits, then choose Monthly Games.
  5. Highlight the game you want to claim.
  6. Select Download.

The console begins downloading the game and associates the Monthly Games entitlement with the signed-in account. If the button does not show Download, confirm that you are viewing the Monthly Games section rather than a store listing for a different edition or add-on.

What happens after you select Download

The game is added to your PS5 downloads and installs to the console’s available storage. You can monitor its progress from the PS5 download controls. When installation finishes, launch it from the Games home screen or your game library while signed in to the account that claimed it.

Claiming and downloading are related but separate outcomes. Selecting Download performs both for a console game, while a web or app request can start the download remotely after the entitlement is attached to your account.

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Claim a Monthly Game on PS4

PS4 uses a different path and includes an extra library step.

  1. Sign in to the account with the active PlayStation Plus membership.
  2. Open PlayStation Plus from the PS4 home screen.
  3. Select Monthly Games.
  4. Highlight the game you want.
  5. Select Add to Library.
  6. After the game is added to your library, select Download.

Do not stop after choosing Add to Library if you want the game installed immediately. That action claims the entitlement; Download starts the installation.

Finding the game later on PS4

After claiming, the game is tied to the account’s PlayStation Plus entitlement. If you do not download it immediately, find it in your library while signed in to the same account and start the download from there. Access still depends on an active membership.

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Start a download from a web browser

PlayStation supports remote download initiation from a web browser. This is useful when you are away from the console and want a claimed game ready for you later.

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  1. Open the PlayStation Store in a supported web browser.
  2. Sign in with the same PlayStation Network account used on your console.
  3. Open the PlayStation Plus section and locate the current Monthly Games, or open the page for the eligible game.
  4. Claim the Monthly Game if the page presents an entitlement or library option.
  5. Choose the option to download to your console.

The exact wording can vary between the web Store and a console screen. The important checks are that the browser account is the same account on the console and that the title is still eligible as a Monthly Game or Catalog game. A browser request cannot bypass a missing PlayStation Plus entitlement.

Start a download with the PlayStation App

The PlayStation App also lets you start a download remotely.

  1. Open the PlayStation App and sign in to the account with the relevant PlayStation Plus plan.
  2. Find the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games area or search for the eligible game.
  3. Claim the game when the app offers the claim or library action.
  4. Choose the download-to-console option.
  5. Select the linked PS5 or PS4 if the app asks which console should receive the download.

The app needs to be connected to the same account that owns the entitlement. If more than one console is linked, check the selected destination before confirming. Remote initiation tells the console to download; it does not change the membership requirement or make a Monthly Game permanently free.

Download a free-to-play game without PlayStation Plus

You do not need PlayStation Plus to download a free-to-play Store game. Use the game’s Store page rather than the Monthly Games area.

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  1. Open the PlayStation Store on your PS5, PS4, web browser, or PlayStation App.
  2. Search for the game and open its product page.
  3. Confirm that the product is identified as free-to-play or free-to-use and that it is the game you intend to install.
  4. Select Download or the equivalent free acquisition button.
  5. Choose the console when downloading remotely, or wait for the local installation to begin on the console.

Free-to-play status does not mean every feature is free. PlayStation’s terms specifically note that free-to-use products may offer optional in-app purchases charged through the PSN wallet. Review the product page, parental controls, and purchase settings before allowing a child to use the game.

Online multiplayer for free-to-play games

Some free-to-play titles are exempt from the usual PlayStation Plus requirement for online multiplayer. That exemption is decided per title. Check the game’s current Store description and PlayStation terms for the game you are installing.

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Download a Game Catalog title

Game Catalog access requires PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium/Deluxe. Essential includes Monthly Games but not the Game Catalog.

  1. Sign in to the account with PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium/Deluxe.
  2. Open the PlayStation Plus area on your PS5 or PS4.
  3. Open the Game Catalog.
  4. Browse or search for an eligible title.
  5. Select the game and choose Download.

Catalog games are available under the service rules for your plan and region. A title can leave the Catalog, and access can therefore differ from a Monthly Game entitlement. If a Catalog game is removed or your plan drops to Essential, the download may remain on the storage device but the license will not permit play unless the entitlement is restored.

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Download versus streaming

Downloading installs the game on your console and uses local storage. Streaming runs the game from the service and requires the appropriate plan, a supported region, and an available streaming option for that title. Choose download when you need a local installation or when streaming is unavailable; choose streaming when the title and service support it and you do not want to install the full game.

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Why a “free” game may not download

The Monthly Game period has changed

Monthly Games are refreshed every calendar month. A game can stop being claimable when the current monthly offer ends. If you saw the game in an earlier lineup but did not claim it, it may no longer be available through Monthly Games.

The account has no active entitlement

Check that the signed-in account owns the active PlayStation Plus membership. A different family member’s subscription does not automatically attach the Monthly Game claim to your account. Sign out of the console or app and return to the account that made the claim.

You are using the wrong menu

On PS5, use Games home > PlayStation Plus > Benefits > Monthly Games. On PS4, use PlayStation Plus > Monthly Games, then Add to Library > Download. A regular Store search may show a purchase page or a different edition instead of the subscription entitlement.

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The plan does not include the Catalog

If a Catalog title asks you to upgrade, verify the plan. Essential includes Monthly Games, while Extra and Premium/Deluxe include the Game Catalog. A Catalog listing is not automatically included with every PlayStation Plus membership.

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The console is already downloading or lacks space

Open the console’s download controls to see whether the game is queued, paused, or already installed. If the download cannot start because storage is full, remove or move other installed games before trying again. Do not purchase a second copy simply because the first installation is still queued.

The app is targeting the wrong console

When using remote download, verify the destination console in the PlayStation App or browser flow. A successful remote request sent to another linked console can make the game appear missing from the device in front of you.

What you keep, and what you do not

Game type Subscription needed to claim Access after the subscription ends Potential extra charges
Monthly Game Active PlayStation Plus membership Play is available while the membership is active; access is suspended when it ends The game is included at no extra game charge; other optional purchases can still exist inside a game
Free-to-play Store game No PlayStation Plus subscription for the download Remains a free-to-play product subject to the Store and game terms Optional in-app purchases may be offered
Game Catalog title PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium/Deluxe Depends on the active plan and whether the title remains in the Catalog Catalog access is included with the eligible plan; optional in-game purchases may still be available

A practical checklist before you claim

  • Confirm whether the game is a Monthly Game, free-to-play title, or Game Catalog title.
  • Check that the correct PlayStation Network account is signed in.
  • Verify the PlayStation Plus plan: Essential covers Monthly Games; Extra and Premium/Deluxe add the Game Catalog.
  • On PS5, use the Benefits > Monthly Games path; on PS4, remember the Add to Library step.
  • Check the game’s Store page for region-specific availability and any online-multiplayer requirement.
  • Review optional in-app purchases, especially on a child account.
  • For remote downloads, select the intended linked console.
  • Make sure the console has enough storage and that the download is not paused.

Common questions answered directly

Can I claim a Monthly Game without downloading it?

On PS4, select Add to Library to claim it before selecting Download. On PS5, selecting the Monthly Game and choosing Download starts the console download and associates the entitlement. You can also claim or initiate the process remotely through the web Store or PlayStation App.

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Are Monthly Games permanently mine?

No. They are included while the PlayStation Plus membership is active. They are not permanently free purchases independent of the subscription.

Can I download a free PlayStation game without PS Plus?

Yes, if it is a free-to-play Store product. You do not need PlayStation Plus to download the game itself. Multiplayer rules and optional purchases vary by title.

Does Essential include the Game Catalog?

No. Essential includes Monthly Games and its other listed base benefits. Game Catalog access starts with Extra and continues with Premium/Deluxe.

Can I use my phone to download a game to my PlayStation?

Yes. The PlayStation App supports remote download initiation. Sign in to the account that owns the entitlement, select the game, choose the download option, and verify the destination console.

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Why can I see a game but not play it?

The most common entitlement causes are an expired PlayStation Plus membership, a Catalog title that is no longer included, or a different account being signed in. Confirm the game category, plan, account, and current availability before downloading again.

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