PS Plus Premium Members Stunned at Dramatic Decline in Quality

PS Plus Premium is regressing into previous patterns.

The elite subscription service, which launched with a promising concept of cloud gaming and classic titles, had been on a gradual rise – yet a wave of disappointing updates has recently brought it crashing down to reality.

This month’s lone new addition is the PS2 first-person shooter Battle Engine Aquila, which, while deemed an enjoyable experience, was unfamiliar to this author until yesterday.

This isn’t to undermine the game entirely, as it received decent reviews in its time – but it’s precisely the sort of inclusion that requires to be paired with something more substantial. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of well-known titles from the PS1, PS2, and PSP eras to select from.

However, the pace of delivering these classic games has turned exceedingly sluggish. Here’s what’s available in 2025 so far:

• Alone in the Dark 2
• Armored Core
• Armored Core: Master of Arena
• Armored Core: Project Phantasma
• Battle Engine Aquila
• Dropship: United Peace Force
• Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
• MediEvil 2
• Patapon 3
• War of the Monsters

Clearly, there are some excellent games present, and we’re not attempting to diminish the value of what’s offered. Yet, does this compilation justify the £20/$25 premium Sony is charging over PS Plus Extra?

It’s worth mentioning that the platform holder has included a few PSVR2 titles in the PS Plus Premium recently, which is a nice addition, and cloud streaming has proven to be surprisingly robust. If you own a PS Portal, you can stream many of your games directly to this device.

In contrast to Nintendo Switch Online, there’s a stark difference; this year alone has introduced Fatal Fury 2, Donkey Kong, Ridge Racer 64, Streets of Rage, and Wario Land 4, to name a few. Next month will also see the Expansion Pak start to incorporate GameCube games.

Sony’s emulation has improved significantly, and several of the retro games in its library have received Trophy updates, which is great to see. However, it must work harder to secure more recognizable titles and release them more promptly.

One of the additions in May, Battle Engine Aquila, is not a satisfactory offering.