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If a PlayStation Plus game is missing from your PS5 library, first check whether your account still has the right to play it. A claimed Essential monthly game and an Extra or Premium Game Catalog title have different access rules: monthly games remain available while your Plus membership is active, but catalog games can stop working when they leave the service. Then check the Plus-owning account, hidden games, region and console sharing before restoring licenses. Restoring licenses can fix a sync problem; it cannot bring back an expired subscription or a game that has left the catalog.
Why is my PlayStation Plus game missing?
Usually, the cause is one of four things: you are signed into the wrong account, the game is hidden, your subscription does not include that type of game or is no longer active, or the game’s catalog access has ended. A license-sync problem is also possible, but deleting and reinstalling the game should not be the first step.
PlayStation Plus is not one permanent library. A game you claimed through the monthly Essential offering is different from a game you downloaded from the rotating Game Catalog included with Extra or Premium. The name of the game, and even whether it is installed, do not tell you which entitlement your account has.
Is it an Essential monthly game or an Extra/Premium catalog game?
Check how you originally added the game. A claimed monthly game is tied to the account that claimed it and is playable again when that account has an active PlayStation Plus membership. A catalog download is only playable while the game remains available in the service and your membership tier includes that catalog.
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- Essential monthly game: You must have claimed it while it was offered. It remains associated with the claiming account while that account has an active Plus membership, even after the monthly offer ends. It is not a permanent purchase: access pauses if the membership lapses.
- Extra Game Catalog game: Extra or Premium is required, and the game must still be in the catalog for your region and platform. Downloading it does not turn it into a purchase.
- Premium Classics or streaming title: Classics access and streaming availability depend on Premium and supported regions. A title’s availability can also vary by country, tier, console platform and device.
Sony’s PlayStation Plus Usage Terms say: Games downloaded to your console are playable as long as you have a valid subscription and the game remains available in the service.
The same terms explain that the number and availability of games can change and vary by tier and region. In other words, an installed file is not proof that you still have a valid license.
For the current catalog, check the PlayStation Plus games guide and the PlayStation Plus tab on your console. On PS5, the Monthly Games area is under Games home > PlayStation Plus > Benefits > Monthly Games. The console’s Last Chance to Play row can flag catalog departures.
How do I check the right account and subscription?
Use the account that claimed the monthly game or owns the Plus membership. A game claimed on one account does not automatically become a claim on every profile on the console.
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- In the same Payment and Subscriptions area, check Transaction History for the relevant claim or purchase. If you have more than one PlayStation account, switch to the account that made the claim and check there.
- Compare the tier to the game’s source. Essential is sufficient for a claimed monthly game; Extra or Premium is required for Extra Game Catalog access; Premium is required for Classics or streaming benefits where offered.
- If the subscription lapsed, renew it on the account that claimed the monthly game. A valid monthly-game entitlement can become usable again after renewal. Renewing does not restore access to a catalog title that has left the service.
Before changing console settings, check PlayStation Network service status. If Sony reports a service issue, wait for it to clear before treating the problem as a local license fault.
Where should I look for a game that is not on the home screen?
The PS5 home screen is not the complete library. Look in Game Library, and check hidden items before concluding that a title has been removed from your account.
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- Open Game Library > Your Collection.
- Choose Filter and Sort, then include Hidden Items. Games you hide are hidden from the library on all consoles associated with your account.
- To unhide a title, select it from Game Library > Filter and Sort > Hidden Items and restore its visibility.
- Check that you are looking for the right edition. A PS4 version and a PS5 version can appear as separate entries, and a license for one edition may not unlock the other version you expected.
Also consider the account’s country or region. PlayStation Plus catalogs differ by region, and a title available in one country’s catalog may not be offered in another. If the game never appears in transaction history or Your Collection on the claiming account, it may never have been claimed there.
Why is there a padlock on a game I already claimed?
A padlock can mean the console cannot confirm the game’s license, but it can also reflect an expired membership, a catalog departure, another account’s entitlement or a parental control. Identify which applies before restoring licenses.
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Sony’s troubleshooting guidance says a padlock can indicate a license problem and recommends confirming that Plus is active and that the game is still available. A whole-game lock can also come from a Family Manager’s parental-control settings; restoring licenses will not remove that restriction.
If another profile owns the game or Plus membership, enable Console Sharing and Offline Play while signed in as that owner: Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. Sony says this feature can let other users on that PS5 play downloaded purchases and use some Plus benefits, including offline. It can be enabled on one PS5 at a time per account. If the old console is unavailable, Sony limits remote deactivation of all devices through Account Management to once every six months.
How do I restore licenses on PS5?
Restore licenses when the account is still entitled to the game but the console is not recognizing that entitlement. Sony recommends it for a padlock not caused by Plus expiration, a game or add-on you cannot locate, or certain crashes. Sony also states that restoring licenses will not affect your data.
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- Sign in to the account that owns the entitlement.
- Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses.
- Select the licenses you want to restore and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can also highlight the game in Game Library or on the home screen, press the Options button, and choose Restore License if the option appears.
This is a sensible fix for a claimed monthly game that should still be available, or for a catalog game still offered to your tier and region. It is not a way to revive an expired membership, restore a title after an Extra/Premium downgrade, or recover a catalog game Sony has removed. Sony does not publish a success rate for Restore Licenses, so there is no reliable percentage that predicts whether it will fix a particular missing game.
What if the catalog game left PlayStation Plus?
If the title has left the Extra or Premium catalog, its downloaded files may remain on the SSD, but the service entitlement has ended. Keeping the game installed, adding it to a library or restoring licenses does not preserve catalog access.
Catalog departures are different from monthly-game offers. For example, PSN.GG reported eight Extra and Premium games scheduled to leave on 20 October 2026, including Silent Hill 2 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Adding a departing catalog title before its deadline does not make it a keepable monthly claim. Trophies remain on your profile, and saves may remain in console storage or cloud storage, but they cannot be used to launch a game without a valid license.
If the title later returns to the catalog and your tier includes it, access may return. Sony does not promise that the same edition, platform version, old install, downloadable content combination or save will reconnect automatically. Buying a compatible edition from the PlayStation Store creates a purchase entitlement; if you kept compatible save data, it may be usable again with that edition. Do not delete saves while troubleshooting.
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A downgrade also matters: if you move from Extra or Premium to Essential, Game Catalog access ends when the downgrade takes effect, even if the game remains in the catalog. An active Essential subscription alone does not unlock Extra or Premium titles.
Can an Extra download replace the Essential game I claimed?
There is a documented risk when the same title appears both as an Essential monthly game and in the Extra/Premium catalog. Specialist reporting and a PlayStation support response in Brazil say downloading or reinstalling the catalog version can replace the earlier Essential license. If both listings are present, claim and download the Essential monthly version rather than choosing the catalog tile.
PlayStation LifeStyle reported this issue in December 2025 in connection with titles listed in both offerings. In a September 2025 response published by Reclame Aqui, a representative of Sony Interactive Entertainment Brasil said installing the cited games through Extra/Deluxe catalogs replaced the earlier Essential license. Sony’s English public support pages do not state this warning in the same explicit terms, so treat it as a documented support position and specialist-reported issue rather than a general license rule for every title.
If you think this happened, check your claim history and the game’s available listings. Restore Licenses may refresh the license the account currently has, but it is not a dependable way to reverse an overwritten entitlement. Contact PlayStation Support with the claim receipt if the monthly Essential entitlement should still be present.
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A catalog listing can sometimes disappear without a visible departure notice. That may be a temporary catalog or Store listing problem rather than something you did on the console, but Sony has not publicly explained every reported case.
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For example, ComicBook.com and PSUni reported that Totally Reliable Delivery Service disappeared from Extra/Premium in November 2025 and returned around March–April 2026, roughly four months later. Those reports also discussed other titles affected by apparent Store SKU updates, with some reportedly not restored. These are reported examples, not a guarantee that any missing game will return or a confirmed explanation for every disappearance.
Check the official games guide for your region and the console’s Last Chance to Play row. If a title is absent without an announced departure, check again later and contact PlayStation Support rather than assuming you deleted or hid it. If Support cannot confirm an entitlement and the game is no longer available, the remaining options are to wait for a return or buy a compatible edition.
What should I try if restoring licenses does not work?
Continue with low-risk checks before deleting the game or resetting the console. Sony’s game-launch and download troubleshooting points to service status, system software, sharing settings and storage as relevant checks.
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- Check PlayStation Network status and wait if a relevant service is disrupted.
- Update the PS5 system software: Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
- Restart the console: choose Power > Restart PS5, then check the game again.
- Confirm Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled on this console if a different account owns the entitlement.
- Move a PS5 game from USB extended storage to the console’s internal storage if it is installed on USB; Sony’s launch guidance identifies this as a possible fix.
- Use Safe Mode only for a continuing console-side issue: power the PS5 fully off, hold the power button until the second beep, connect the DualSense controller by USB, then choose Clear Cache and Rebuild Database. Do not choose Reset PS5 as a substitute; reset options can erase data.
- Delete and redownload only as a later step. Back up saves first and make sure the entitlement still exists. Reinstalling cannot restore a departed catalog license and may be unhelpful if the underlying issue is account access.
If an active, claimed Essential game is still missing after these checks, contact PlayStation Support. Include the account’s transaction or claim receipt, any error code, the time you tried to access the game, a concise description of what happened and a screenshot or video of the issue. These details help Support distinguish a missing entitlement from a console error.
Quick checklist: what to do first
- Sign into the account that claimed the game or owns Plus; check Transaction History and Subscriptions.
- Confirm the right tier: Essential monthly claim, Extra/Premium Game Catalog, or Premium Classics/streaming.
- Verify the title is still available for your region and platform.
- Look in Game Library > Your Collection, including Hidden Items, and check the PS4/PS5 edition.
- If another profile owns it, enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on this PS5. Check parental controls if the whole game is locked.
- Check service status, update and restart the console, then restore licenses.
- If it is a PS5 game on USB extended storage, move it internally. Consider Safe Mode cache and database options only if needed.
- If a catalog title left the service, wait for a return or buy a compatible edition. If an Essential claim is still missing, contact Support with proof of the claim.
- If both Essential and Extra list the same game, use the Essential claim and avoid downloading the catalog listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a PS Plus game offline on PS5?
Some downloaded games can be played offline when the account and console are set up appropriately, including Console Sharing and Offline Play on the owner’s PS5. Offline play does not extend a lapsed membership or keep a departed catalog title licensed.
Will I lose my save if I restore licenses?
No. Sony says restoring licenses does not affect data, so it is distinct from deleting a game or resetting the console. Save availability can still depend on whether the save is stored locally or in cloud storage and whether it matches the edition you later play.
Do PS Plus trophies disappear when a game leaves the catalog?
Trophies earned are attached to your PlayStation profile and are not the game’s license. A catalog departure prevents launching the game without another valid entitlement, but it does not erase trophies already earned.
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How can I tell whether I ever claimed a monthly game?
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