So you‘ve decided it‘s time to cancel your PlayStation Plus membership. Maybe it‘s no longer in your budget, or you simply don‘t have time for gaming anymore. Whatever the reason, cancelling PS Plus is quick and straightforward – if you know the proper steps.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to cancel PlayStation Plus smoothly. We‘ll cover:
- An overview of PlayStation Plus tiers and benefits
- Step-by-step instructions to cancel on web or console
- What you‘ll lose access to after cancellation
- How to reactive your membership later on
Let‘s start by understanding the different PlayStation Plus options available.
PlayStation Plus Tiers and Benefits
PlayStation Plus has evolved over the years into a tiered membership program. Here is an overview of the existing tiers:
| Tier | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $9.99 | $59.99 | Online multiplayer, monthly games, exclusive discounts |
| Extra | $14.99 | $99.99 | Benefits above PLUS 400+ game catalog |
| Premium | $17.99 | $119.99 | Benefits above PLUS 700+ game catalog, game trials, game streaming |
As you can see, the higher tiers add more to the base Essential benefits. The Extra and Premium tiers comprise over 50 million global members currently.
Now let‘s get into the steps you‘ll need to take in order to cancel your subscription.
Step 1: Access Account Management
First things first, you‘ll need to log into your PlayStation Network account management to access your membership.
On your computer, go to the PlayStation Account Management page.
Enter login credentials for your PlayStation Network account when prompted.
Tip: Make sure to use the login email and password associated with your PSN account, NOT PlayStation console credentials.
- If two-factor authentication is enabled, check your phone and enter the code provided via text or authenticator app.
Once logged in, you will see the PlayStation Network Account Management screen with your account details, previous sign-in history, linked accounts, and more.
Step 2: Navigate to Subscription Settings
From the left sidebar menu, click on Subscription under PlayStation Network.
Next a pop-up will ask you to confirm exiting Account Management. Click Continue.
This will open a page showing details of your Active Subscription, including:
- Subscription type
- Renewal date
- Payment source
And below that, the option to Cancel Subscription.
Step 3: Confirm Cancellation
Under active subscription details, click the Cancel Subscription button.
A confirmation box will appear asking if you are sure. Click Confirm Cancellation to proceed.
Once confirmed, your subscription status will change to "Expires on" followed by the final expiry date based on your last payment.
And that‘s it – your PlayStation Plus subscription is now cancelled!
Now let‘s talk about what canceling means in terms of access and benefits.
Losing Access to Benefits
After cancelling your PlayStation Plus membership, you immediately lose access to certain benefits, including:
- Online multiplayer – You cannot play multiplayer games online without an active subscription
- Monthly/quarterly games – You lose instant access to free monthly game unlocks
- Game catalog – Extra/Premium catalog of PS4/PS5 games no longer accessible
- Exclusive discounts – You no longer get special subscriber-only sales or deals
- Cloud storage – Any game saves uploaded to cloud storage are no longer accessible
However, you will keep access to:
- Previously claimed free games – These remain tied to your account in case you resubscribe later
- Game saves on your console‘s hard drive – Local saves are still playable offline
Below I summarize exactly what you keep or lose access to when cancelling:
| Asset | Keep Access? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online multiplayer | No | Requires active subscription |
| Monthly/quarterly game claims | No | Only games claimed prior to cancellation |
| Game catalog | No | For Extra/Premium tiers |
| Exclusive discounts | No | Only for active subscribers |
| Cloud storage | No | Saves available again if resubscribed |
| Previously claimed free games | Yes | Remain tied to your account |
| Local hard drive game saves | Yes | Can still be accessed offline |
So in summary, you lose all membership benefits but retain downloads and game saves should you choose to resubscribe later on.
Speaking of which…
Reactivating Your Membership
Cancelling your PlayStation Plus membership does NOT permanently disable your account. You can resubscribe and reactive benefits at any time!
To start a new membership:
On your PlayStation Account, click Subscribe (this appears where Manage Subscription used to be after canceling).
Choose your desired membership tier:
- Essential
- Extra
- Premium
Enter payment details
Your new subscription and benefits will activate instantly! Access returns to:
- Online multiplayer
- Monthly game claims
- Game catalog (for higher tiers)
- Cloud storage
Plus your previously claimed monthly games are restored and available to play once again.
It‘s super simple to resubscribe if you change your mind or want to activate PlayStation Plus again temporarily.
Now let‘s go over how to cancel your membership directly from your PlayStation console.
Cancelling PlayStation Plus on Console
You can also cancel your PlayStation Plus membership from directly within console settings:
On PlayStation 4
- From your PS4 home screen, go to the PlayStation Plus icon.
- Select Manage Membership.
- Choose Subscription > Cancel Subscription.
- Confirm cancellation on the popup message.
Your membership status will then display as expired rather than active.
On PlayStation 5
- On your PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Navigate to Users and Accounts > Account.
- Select Payments and Subscriptions.
- Click the option for Subscriptions then choose PlayStation Plus.
- Finally, select Cancel Subscription.
Once again you‘ll confirm on the popup and then see your membership shift to cancelled/expired status.
The only difference with console cancellation is you don‘t see an expiry countdown or resubscribe options. But the net result remains the same whether you cancel via web or console.
And there you have it! You‘re now equipped to easily cancel your PlayStation Plus membership through Account Management online or console settings offline. Remember you can always reactive whenever needed.
Below I‘ll cover some final frequent questions on cancellation specifics.
FAQ
What happens to my cloud saves when I cancel?
Your cloud storage access expires so you cannot retrieve old saves or upload new ones. However local hard drive saves remain intact. If you resubscribe cloud sync returns.
Can I play multiplayer games offline after cancellation?
Yes, many games allow offline splitscreen or single player offline use even without an active PlayStation Plus membership. But online services require an active subscription.
What is the cheapest PlayStation Plus tier available?
The Essential tier is the entry-level at $9.99/month or $59.99/year. It includes online multiplayer, monthly games, and exclusive discounts.
And there you have it! You should now be fully equipped to cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription with no surprises. Please drop any other questions below in the comments section.
