In context: There are some definite advantages to having a PlayStation Plus (PS+) membership. The $60-per-year service is required for online gaming, but even if you are not an online player, the subscription provides free games and discounts that more than pay for a year of service.

With the launch of the PlayStation 5, PlayStation Plus members will get a new benefit and one that is not so new.

The newest perk for PS+ members is called the "PlayStation Plus Collection" that Sony announced when it revealed the PS5's pricing and release date. It is a curated library of backward-compatible PlayStation 4 games that Plus members can access for free. Sony did not share whether titles will periodically rotate in and out of the catalog. However, it did have a list of games available at launch, and all are quality titles.

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Battlefield 1
  • Bloodborne
  • Days Gone
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • God of War
  • inFamous: Second Son
  • The Last Guardian
  • The Last of Us Remastered
  • Monster Hunter: World
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Ratchet & Clank
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
  • Until Dawn

The other benefit coming to PS+ members is an additional two free games per month. This entitlement is not so new. After the PS4 launched in 2013, Plus subscribers, who had been getting just two PS3 games and one PS Vita game per month, got an additional two titles for the PlayStation 4. As of March 2019, Sony discontinued the free PS3 and Vita games, so members have only been receiving two PS4 titles per month.

Some may ask, "What is the point of grabbing two free PS5 games if you don't have a PS5?" Well, unless Sony changes the claiming process, you should be able to claim all four titles regardless of ownership, although you would have to snag the PS5 games from the online store since they might not display on the PS4's store app. Doing this can build up a small collection of PS5 games before even laying any money down on the console.

It is unclear when Sony will start offering free PlayStation 5 games, however. Usually, gratis titles are ones that have been out for at least a little while. Having something to offer at, or shortly after, the PS5 launch next month might be problematic for the developers.

Nevertheless, when they did it in 2013, Resogun and Contrast were two PS4 games offered in the same month the console launched. So there is the possibility that Sony will have some PlayStation 5 freebies for PS+ members on day one. If so, I'm speculating that they will be first-party games from one of the PlayStation game studios.

PlayStation Plus subscriptions run $10 per month or $60 per year. You can also often find them on sale through Amazon and other vendors for as low as $35 for one year. I always snag these deals and tack them to the end of my current membership.

Image credit: Jer123