PS Plus Premium subscribers have been wondering for a while whether Sony had completely abandoned free trials. The offer, although presented as one of the advantages of the Premium formula, seemed to be at a standstill. But in recent days, things have been moving: six games have just been added to this long-ignored section, and this time, the quality is there.
Editor Zarmena Khan didn’t mince words in PlayStation Lifestyle: “We haven’t seen anything really interesting in terms of game trials in a while, with the demos section of the PS Store far outperforming the Premium benefit.” A review shared by many subscribers. However, Sony seems determined to restart the machine, by integrating several notable titles into its catalog of temporary trials.
Complete tests, with progress preserved
The recent update introduces the following games to the PS Plus Premium Trials section: Mafia: The Old Country, Ready or Not, The Talos Principle II, Lights Rise, Lost Soul Aside, and Raidou Remastered: Mystery of the Soulless Army. A varied list that covers very different genres, from narrative games to philosophical puzzles, including action and Japanese adventure.
Zarmena Khan clarifies an essential point: “These trial versions differ from demos: they give access to the full game and all its features for a limited time.” This detail makes all the difference. Indeed, where a demo is often limited to a frozen extract of the gameplay, these trials allow you to play the complete game, in its functional entirety, over a limited time (often 1 to 5 hours depending on the title).
Another advantage: progress is saved. “Unlike the demos, progress is carried over into the full game.” In other words, if the player buys the game after the trial period, they pick up exactly where they left off, including the trophies.
The big absentee: the PSVR2 catalog still evicted
While this update is welcome, it does not meet all expectations. Another subject continues to concern players: the sudden disappearance of PSVR2 games in the Premium section. The addition of new generation virtual reality headsets was welcomed at their launch, but since then, nothing.
Zarmena Khan is surprised by this radio silence from Sony: “Sony has still not said a word regarding the curious removal of all PSVR2 games from PS Plus Premium, which constituted one of the main advantages of this subscription.” The lack of official communication maintains the vagueness, while many PSVR2 owners also hoped to benefit from new experiences via their subscription.
For now, we will have to make do with classic games on screen. But with this update, Sony at least seems to show that it has not completely drawn a line under the added value of PS Plus Premium.