If you have a current Playstation games console (specifically a PS3, PS4 and/or PS Vita) and a connection to the internet, you really should have some kind of subscription to Sony’s Playstation Plus service. It just makes too much sense (and is alos kinda necessary to play most online-capable games on PS4). If you’re skeptical or in the dark about its benefits, read this post I wrote a while back, when it was offering less free stuff than it was now. If it still doesn’t appeal to you, that’s OK. But if it does, then you either have a PS Plus account, or you’re planning to grab a subscription soon. Either way, read on.
Most PS Plus subscribers do not quite realise the extent of what they’re able to access with their membership. If you have just a Playstation 3, for example, you may only be downloading one or two free PS3 games as they become available each month, doing so directly from your PS3 and going along your merry way. And that’s fine. Except you could be getting more.
Allow me to suggest a new way to peruse your monthly free game offerings on PS Plus – a way that is faster, more convenient and leaves you with more games than simply doing it via your console of choice. It may seem obvious to some but I remain astounded by the number of Playstation gamers I meet who are completely unaware of the option. This was first pointed out to me by Delaney of the Mega Ultra Blast Cast (Had to mention that or he would probably complain).
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STEP 1: Get to a PC or take out your smartphone.
These screenshots are from a PC and the mobile browser will look a bit different, but will work largely the same way.
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STEP 2: Google “Sony Entertainment Network Store” and follow the links to the “Games” section.
Or, alternatively, just click this link right here. I wish there was a straight URL to recommend, but in my experience just using the search term is more consistent. Don’t ask me why.
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STEP 3: Sign in with your PSN ID and click one of the PS Plus tabs.
Your screen should look something like the below screenshot. Make sure you log in via the top right section of the page, then click one of the sections surrounded in red to go to the PS Plus section.
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STEP 4: Continue to your “Instant Game Collection”.
This is (mostly) what you pay for, so go ahead and click through one of the red links below.
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STEP 5: Add every free game to your cart one by one.
Why, you may ask? Because there is literally no downside to doing so. Each grey icon click takes a couple of seconds to process and means you will have that game attached to your PSN account for as long as Sony continues the service. So you’ll have games for now as well as games for later!
What’s worth pointing out is that often you will see one or two Cross Buy-enabled games, meaning they will appear more than once on this list. You will only be able to add one of these to your cart, but don’t freak out – you’ll still effectively be adding all eligible versions of the game when you do.
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STEP 6: Check out.
Click that trolley icon (which should have multiple items in it) and hit that check out icon option afterwards.
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STEP 7: Choose the games you want to download immediately.
One of the cool things about this method is you don’t have to download anything right away – the games are yours to download when you choose, or not at all. However, if you hover over you PSN name on the previous screen and then click “Download List”, you’ll be taken to a screen like this:
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From here you can set up a game so that the next time you, say, turn on your PS3 or Vita, the download will be ready to commence straight away. The PS4 takes things one step further, because if you’ve set it to Standby Mode you can use this page to tell it to turn itself on and start downloading immediately, wherever you are. Rather convenient, no?
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And there you have it. If you already have a PS4, a PS3 and a Vita, this is the most convenient way to make sure you get every free PS Plus game every month in one place. But the most exciting thing about it in my opinion is that even if you only have one Playstation device, this will allow you to start stockpiling some great games on the other devices you do not yet own, so that if you do buy one in the future you may not even need to buy any games!
Vagrant Rant 