If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the PlayStation Plus Black Friday deals, there’s a few things you should consider first – including one setting you need to change right away.
Sony is currently offering savings of up to 30 per cent on its gaming subscription service, but the offer isn’t available to all users. For existing members, it may even be worth waiting a few days instead of buying now to get the best discount.
By following the steps outlined below, you can avoid being charged when your subscription runs out. And, because this PS Plus Black Friday deal has become somewhat of an annual tradition, you can take advantage of it all over again next winter.
Here’s what you need to know about the PS Plus Black Friday sale, including prices, the best subscription plans, and the PlayStation setting you should change to avoid an unwanted bill.
What are the PS Plus Black Friday deals?
From now until December 2, you can grab a 12-month PlayStation Plus Premium subscription for £84 (down from £119.99) if you don’t have an active membership.
This gets you the entire game catalogue, along with a bunch of exclusive perks like classic PlayStation games, game trials for new releases, free movies, and cloud streaming so you no longer have to wait for lengthy downloads.
If that’s out of your budget, the PS Plus Extra tier is currently £74.99 (down from £99.99) for 12 months. With it, you’ll get the same library of PS4 and PS5 titles as Premium, barring those extras.
Finally, the basic Essential plan is £47.99 (previously £59.99 for the same duration), but that only gives you access to a revolving line-up of around three monthly games and online multiplayer. The chances are, if you’re not on the higher tiers, you’ll probably be signed up to Essential anyway – and looking to upgrade.
Existing users, meanwhile, will pocket discounts when moving from PS Plus Essential to either PS Plus Extra (25 per cent off on the remainder of your membership) or PS Plus Premium (30 per cent off).
So, if your active subscription runs out in the next 10 days, it’s probably worth waiting till it expires and grabbing the 12-month deals listed above.
Alas, there are no discounts for those already on the PS Plus Premium tier, which is a drag for long-time subscribers on the priciest tier.
The one setting you should change
After buying your chosen plan, don’t rush straight to the games. There’s one setting you need to change to avoid being rebilled the higher subscription cost when your subscription renews, be it in a year, a month, or even a few days.
Like other subscription services, PS Plus operates on a rolling basis, auto-renewing your plan every month or year. That way, you’re on the hook for up to 12-months more if you forget to cancel.
Fortunately, you can cancel straight away and keep your subscription running until its expiry date. This is especially useful if you’re buying a 12-month deal now as it will end this time next year, allowing you to snag the same Black Friday discount when it rolls around again.
Keep in mind, when your plan does eventually stop, you won’t be able to play any of your monthly PS Plus games or downloaded games until you re-subscribe.
Here’s how to turn off auto-renew on PS Plus on PS5:
On your PS5, head to settings > users and accounts > account > payments and subscriptions > subscriptions > PlayStation Plus.
You should now be on a page that shows your PS Plus plan, its start date, and when the next payment is due.
To switch off auto-renew, click “Cancel Subscription” at the bottom of the screen, after which you’ll have to click on it again and give a reason for your cancellation.
Now, your subscription will automatically terminate on the date of its expiry, and you won’t have to deal with a ghastly bill in the lead-up to Christmas.
