21 Things You Didn’t Know About How to Cancel PS Plus [GUIDE]

Having trouble with subscription-based services is common. With so many services like it popping up these days, you’re bound to feel confused about how each of them works.

This is a special case with PlayStation Plus.

So, I put this article together as a PlayStation Plus Support guide for you. Why?

Because even after close to an exhausting 15 years, some folks find PlayStation Plus repeatedly annoying to get acquainted with. Especially when you want to cancel it.

Let’s get going then, shall we?

What is PS Plus?

If you’re a PlayStation owner, chances are you ran into the issue of playing online games before.

You boot your game, and launch its multiplayer component only to read a message on the screen saying, “You need a PlayStation Plus subscription to access multiplayer.”

Primarily, the PlayStation Plus subscription is — depending on what you choose — either a monthly, a tri-monthly, or even an annual subscription you can take up to access online features across all games that support multiplayer.

But it comes with other benefits, too.

It can get subjective because it depends entirely on the person to enjoy a preset number and type of benefits.

Still, the compensation you get is some of the best I’ve seen from a subscription.

I get asked a lot, “How to play online without PS Plus?” Truth is, you cannot play online without PS Plus.

Unless you were playing a game that is a free-to-play title, you need a PlayStation Plus membership to play any online multiplayer component in PlayStation games. For example, you can play Fortnite without a PS Plus subscription, but you will need it for games like Call of Duty or Minecraft.

Why PS Plus is Required

I did talk about the primary use that PS Plus has, but that’s seen as a necessity rather than a choice.

So that partially answers the question.

The real question is, “Why get PS Plus?”

That seems more choice-laden than anything, right?

Well, I’ll give you exactly 9 benefits of being a PlayStation Plus member.

Let’s see if they sound great.

9 Benefits of Being a PS Plus Member

• Benefit #1: Play Online with it
• Benefit #2: Get Exclusive Discounts
• Benefit #3: Get Free Games every month
• Benefit #4: No more worries about losing data
• Benefit #5: Early Access to new games
• Benefit #6: No other subscription required
• Benefit #7: Share game experiences seamlessly
• Benefit #8: Share PS Plus subscription with all
• Benefit #9: Use PS Plus subscription with any consoles

Benefit #1 :You can play online with it

Once again, you can’t play PS games online without PS Plus.

So if you’re looking to figure out how to play online without PS Plus, then I’m afraid you won’t find it possible, friend. (Unless you are okay with free-to-play titles.)

Even so, a PS Plus subscription is like a Golden Ticket to the Chocolate Factory.

For one, it funds Sony’s services and keeps everything running. For two, it’s a solid barrier between you and random users who might abuse the goodwill of freebies (which means less “toxicity” in certain games).

And for three, you still have the rest of the 9 reasons, of course!

Benefit #2 :You get excellent exclusive discounts

Selected games have a high discount applied to them.

You might see them even when you’re not a PS Plus member.

But that only goes to show the benefit you can reap if you were one.

PS Plus members can get offers from 40% to 80% off on games, including on what Sony calls their “Essentials” collection of games, such as Uncharted 4, inFamous: Second Son, God of War (2018), and much more.

Benefit #3 :You get free games every month

Whether it’s an indie game or a triple-A game, you’re bound to get at least 2 games per month for free.

You would have 2 full-version games registered under your account, free of charge, and ready to be loaded and entertain you.

One catch, though: Once the subscription expires, your access to those games is locked.

To play them again, you’ll need to renew your subscription. (Or buy the game from the store if you love it to bits.)

Benefit #4 :You won’t have to worry about losing data

The PlayStation Plus Online Storage feature is made available exclusively to all PS Plus members.

You can autosave your content on the cloud, manually shift your local storage files to the cloud, manage your cloud storage files, and even delete them if need be.

PS5 users can synchronize their storage data between devices if they have a PS Plus membership.

The limit for storing your data online is 100 GB, which is shared between both the PS4 and the PS5.

Benefit #5 :You get early access to new games

There are times when Sony releases either alpha or beta versions of games on their store.

This is great for developers who are looking to improve their games using player feedback.

On the other hand, you get access to certain games before the public (those without a membership, or even without a console) does.

Benefit #6 :You won’t need to subscribe to anything else

If you use your PlayStation to use other services, for instance, Crunchyroll, then chances are you pay for that app’s subscription model through the parent app itself. The thing is you don’t need to do that if you have a PS Plus membership.

Yep, it’s an all-in-one package that nets you a subscription for any television-based service!

Benefit #7 :You can share your experience with games seamlessly

PS Plus users get to use additional Share options using their console.

This stuff includes sharing gameplay clips and in-game screenshots to social media platforms directly, or live-streaming gameplay through Twitch or Ustream.

Benefit #8 :You can share your PS Plus subscription with anyone

BUT! There’s a caveat.

Questions such as “How to share PS Plus with another PS4” or “How to transfer PS Plus to another account” are too common.

But to put that to rest, the short answer is “no”.

You can neither share your PS Plus subscription with another PS4 nor can you share your PS Plus subscription with another account directly.

However, you can share these benefits with your PS Plus friends and family members as long as they use the same system.

So if you were trying to figure out how to share PS Plus with another account on the same PS4, the short answer is, “Yes, you can.”

Here’s how to share PS Plus with family or friends on the same system:

• On your primary PS4 system, go to Settings.
• Go to PSN.
• Select “Activate as Your Primary PS4” if it isn’t done already.
• Select “Activate”.

If the primary account associated with the system has a PS Plus subscription, then any other account that signs in to the same system but as a secondary user will automatically reap a few of those subscription benefits. 

The ones they can’t are listed below:

• You can’t purchase PS Plus discounted games or other software from the PlayStation Store.
• You can’t redeem any monthly games to your accounts if you’re not the primary account.
• You can’t use online storage.
• You can’t opt for automatic patch downloads (basically, game updates).
• You can’t get early access to game trials.

Benefit #9 :You can use your PS Plus subscription across other consoles

Even if you bought a PS Plus subscription on the PS3 or the PS Vita, you can still use it on the PS4 or the PS5.

This is because the subscription is tied to your account. If you’re not using the same account across these systems, then you won’t get the subscription benefits.

Finally, it’s time to know the different ways by which you can cancel PS Plus.

How to Cancel PS Plus

If you’re not happy with the service, or if you want to save on money, then you’ll want to know how to cancel PS Plus.

Some people also get confused between how to unsubscribe from PS Plus, and how to stop PS Plus auto-renewal.

Don’t get confused; they’re both the same as canceling your subscription.

Anyway, you can do this via the web browser, the PS4, or the PS5.

Here’s how to cancel PS Plus membership on each of those devices (or in other words, how to turn off PS Plus auto-renew).

Cancel PS Plus using Web Browser

• Sign in to Account Management.
• On the left side of the screen, press “Subscription”.
• Right next to PlayStation Plus, press “Turn Off Auto-Renew”.

Cancel PS Plus Using PS4

• Go to the PlayStation Plus app.
• Press “Manage Membership”.
• Press “Subscription”.
• Press “Turn Off Auto-Renewal”.

If you need a visual aid to do this, then you can take a look at the “Managing Your Memberships” video by PlayStation.

Cancel PS Plus Using PS5

• Go to Users and Accounts via Settings.
• Go to Account, and select “Payment and Subscriptions”.
• Press “Subscriptions” and then “PlayStation Plus”.
• Press “Turn Off Auto-Renew”.

Keep in mind that when you turn auto-renew off, you’re merely stopping the services from automatically processing payments.

So, if you turn it back on, and you have payment details saved on your system, then you will regain your subscription from the next month onwards.

You can read more about how to cancel PS Plus on their official website.

When Does My PS Plus Expire?

If you ever asked yourself, “When does my PS Plus expire?”, then I’ve got you covered there.

It’s similar to the cancellation process; you can check how through two platforms: Web browser, or PS4.

Here’s how to find out when PS Plus expires.

How to Check PS Plus Expiration with Web Browser

• Go to the official PlayStation Plus Subscription page and login from there.
• Click your Profile Icon, and a dropdown will appear.
• Press “Subscriptions Management”.
• You’ll see your active subscriptions there, each of which will have separate start, expiration and renewal dates.

How to Check PS Plus Expiration with PS4

• Go to Settings, and then Account Management.
• Press “Account Information”.
• Press “PlayStation Subscriptions” and go to PlayStation Plus.
• You will see the title, the charge, and the start, the expiration, and the renewal dates.

If you’re wondering how to check PS Plus expiration with the PS5, then you can keep what you learned about the process with the PS4 in mind due to their similarity.

You’ll still learn when your PS Plus subscription expires.

How to Get Free PS Plus Trial

For some, it’s tricky how to get 14 days of free PS Plus.

Especially when they’re talking about how to get PS Plus free trial without a credit card!

But luck has a way of finding you because there is indeed a way to get that trial. The only condition is that your email address should never have received any free 14-day trial before.

Assuming that is the case, here’s how you can get the free PS Plus trial:

• Sign in to your PS4 using that email address.
• Visit the PlayStation Store.
• Search for the keyword “Trial” on the search box.
• In the list, there will be a PlayStation Plus 14-day trial option.
• Subscribe to the service, and simply add a payment method (PayPal or credit/debit card).
• Once it’s been processed, you should get the trial.

Don’t worry about paying with your credit or debit card.

They are simply used to verify the purchase without charging you anything for it, so you still get it for free!

What Games Can You Play Without PS Plus?

Even after all of this, if you still don’t want to buy a PS Plus subscription, then your next best option is to find games that don’t require a PS Plus subscription.

So, what games can you play without PS Plus?

Virtually any single-player game owned by you.

But if you’re looking to play online without buying the subscription, then free-to-play titles are a good start.

Here is a list of the 10 best free-to-play games available on the PlayStation consoles that don’t require a PS Plus subscription:

Apex Legends	Genshin Impact
Brawlhalla	Let It Die
Call of Duty: Warzone	Rocket League
DC Universe Online	Smite
Fortnite	Warframe

Did You Find This Guide Helpful?

With PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now as solid services, there’s always room to experiment with what we’re comfortable with.

So we should give credit where it’s due.

But there are times when the general user needs help with wrapping their head around how it all works.

Now that you know what’s great about PS Plus, how to cancel PS Plus, how to check its dates, and everything else, you’re officially ready to do as you please with the subscription.

Do you feel there’s something that should be added to the guide?

Feel free to provide me with suggestions worth covering, and I’ll take a look.

In the meantime, why don’t you take a look at the differences between PS Plus and PS Now?

It may be worth learning a thing or two about them.