5 Best PlayStation Plus Months of All Time

Sony's generosity isn't exactly the best-kept secret in the world, that's for sure. And when it comes to the subscription-based PlayStation Plus module, that generosity can churn out all kinds of sparkling rewards and top-shelf freebies. Although slightly below par compared to Xbox's renowned Game Pass platform, Sony's monthly subscription plan still provides plenty of bang for your buck — and it all starts with those monthly freebies.

In case you aren't familiar with Sony's PlayStation Plus service, then allow us to break it down for you. On top of granting its users access to multiplayer functions and various discounts on the PlayStation Store, the plan also gives out up to five games on the first Tuesday of every month. These games often range between triple-A titles and classic PlayStation hits, depending on what's popular at the time. And so, with that in mind, let's take a quick look back at some of the best months to date. Sure, it's a tad late to download them now — but at least it gives newcomers an idea of what Sony can carve up every once in a while, be it gold or absolute trash.

5. October 2017

2017 seems like a lifetime ago for us gamers, especially with the number of great titles that have come out since. And yet, looking back at some of the most memorable PlayStation Plus months to date, October of 2017 still seems to stand out as much as it did back when it originally launched.

The two games Sony dished out to subscribers that month were both Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Amnesia: Collection, both of which had acquired critical acclaim over both gameplay and narrative. Stealth and horror went hand in hand that Halloween, and it ended up saving subscribers quite a bit of spare cash — even more so with the Amnesia collection having three games bundled into one.

4. March 2018

Subscribers certainly had a lot to look forward to in 2018, what with the likes of God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2 channeling their ways through to the shelves. As a way to maintain the hype prior to each release, Sony made use of its bottomless barrel of games, giving a diverse selection for each passing month to those subscribed to the service.

March of 2018 was a little unusual, to be honest. It was made up of Bloodborne, the acclaimed RPG with more awards under its belt than tallied player deaths in all Souls games combined — and Ratchet and Clank, PlayStation's long and loyal franchise that has spanned an entire generation of best-selling adventures. Combined, the two freebies packed a real punch, and to this day still hold a solid spot on PlayStation Plus's most legendary months of all time.

3. October 2019

It was no secret that most people who owned a PlayStation 4 back in 2019 had already binged The Last of Us front to back at least four times since its 2013 launch. And again, once it paved its way over to the PS4 a year later, players must've plowed through it another three or four times at a minimum. So, why all the hype when it was included in October's line-up back in 2019? Well, because it's The Last of Us, PlayStation's magnum opus of a console generation, of course.

As well as Naughty Dog's universally acclaimed zombie chapter, PlayStation Plus subscribers also had the pleasure of sinking into MLB The Show 19, San Diego Studios' globally recognised baseball favourite. Together, the two freebies covered an unlikely range of genres, both of which had amassed quite a spectacular following over the previous decades.

2. February 2020

Because who doesn't love having a remastered collection of games handed to them on a silver platter, right? Thanks to PlayStation, March of 2020's offerings included the jam-packed BioShock Collection, which of course comprised of the first two Rapture-based adventures plus Infinite's heavenly spin-off. On top of that, subscribers also received The Sims 4, and Firewall Zero Hour.

For a monthly price of $9.99 for the luxury of PlayStation Plus, we couldn't exactly force a complaint even if we had wanted to. February 2020 was a perfect month for both loyal Plus users and drop-in visitors alike. Plus, with a line-up with that much quality, even Xbox's Games with Gold had something to cower over for those few short weeks, to be honest.

1. March 2021

Let's face it, if Sony had given us just a slither of gameplay from Final Fantasy VII Remake and nothing more for their March 2021 line-up — then we probably wouldn't have complained. We would've sat contently, overjoyed to have the chance to play one of PlayStation's biggest games of the decade, and that would've been the end of it. But turned out, subscribers had the full package to keep, along with a pile of other fantastic freebies to serve alongside it.

Of course, Final Fantasy VII Remake was the icing on the cake that month, though PS5 users also had the pleasure of receiving Maquette, the puzzle-adventure hit from Graceful Decay. as well as Remnant: From the Ashes and Farpoint, two PS4 hits that both amassed global recognition following their respective launch dates. And from that, you can probably see why the subscription plans flew off the shelves that month. The question is: will Sony be able to top it in the future?

So, what's your take? Are there months we should've included on this list? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Looking for more content? You could always take a look at one of these lists:

5 Xbox Originals We Want on Game Pass in 2022