PS Plus Tier Conversion Rates Explained

In only a few weeks time, the long-awaited shakeup to PlayStation Plus will finally be available to PS4 and PS5 owners. Considering how the staggered global rollout starts in select Asian markets on May 23, it’s remarkable how tight-lipped Sony has continued to be in regard to the composition of the service. Aside from a few leaks which suggest games like Tekken 2 will feature within it, the platform holder has been noticeably cagey when it comes to certain topics of discussion.

To make matters even stranger, what Sony has been willing to talk to the public about has often been met with understandable confusion. The publisher’s attempts to explain how players will be able to buy into the service or upgrade their existing subscriptions have been particularly convoluted. With millions of console owners and subscribers out there on PS Now and PS Plus already, getting to grips with how the conversion rates will work is an important process.

Converting Existing Subscribers

Out of all the ways that players will be able to access PlayStation Plus’ new tiers, the conversion process for existing subscribers is the most straightforward. Sony has confirmed that anyone with a PS Plus subscription will have the remaining time that they’ve paid for converted directly into the Essential tier when the new system comes into effect. The process is a 1:1 swap, meaning the remaining time they had left will still be honored. Similarly, any PS4 or PS5 owner that has a PlayStation Now subscription will be converted into the Premium tier for the length of time they’ve already paid for.

It’s worth pointing out that any player who has an active subscription to both PS Plus and PS Now, will receive extra bonuses. For starters, dual subscribers will automatically be upgraded into the new Premium tier. What makes the deal enticing is the fact that the service with the longest amount of time until its expiration, will determine the length of the combined subscription. If a player has already bought into PS Plus for the next 2 years, for example, but only has 1 month of PS Now left, the former is the length of time they’ll be able to access the top tier for.

Any PS Plus subscriber who ends up in the Essential tier when the update rolls out will still be able to upgrade into the Extra and Premium tiers if they want to access the content they include. According to Sony’s dense PS Plus FAQ page, existing subscribers looking to upgrade will be charged a pro rata fee to do so. That essentially means that players will have to pay the difference between the value of their old subscription fee, and whichever option they’re interested in going forward with.

PlayStation Voucher Codes

After Sony had outlined the conversion process for existing PlayStation Plus and Now subscribers, some players understandably attempted to capitalize on the publisher’s offer. Due to the fact that the market has been saturated with pre-paid subscription voucher codes, many were able to uncover deals far cheaper than the official conversion rate. Buying into the current versions of the subscription service for multiple years, is obviously cheaper than what’s coming. However, Sony quickly realized it hadn’t taken this concept of stacking into account.

In an attempt to stop players from getting a cheaper deal than it had initially intended, Sony has put up several new barriers on the PlayStation Networ k. Right now, the ability to redeem pre-paid voucher codes that grant access to PS Plus and Now has been temporarily suspended. Players who purchase these from a store will only be able to redeem them once the updated service goes live in their respective territory. Similarly, it’s now become impossible for players to buy into PS Now if they hadn’t done so already, while existing subscribers to both services are also unable to extend their subscriptions.

PS Plus Vouchers

When the new-look PlayStation Plus service rolls out across the globe, players will once again be able to redeem the voucher codes they’ve bought. With so many codes already out in the wild, it’s unfeasible that Sony will be able to recall all of them before it can issue updated ones. However, there will be some serious caveats attached to using these old vouchers on the new-look PS Plus.

For starters, any player who doesn’t have an active PS Plus subscription service will always be enrolled into PS Plus’ Essential tier for the amount of time that’s printed on the voucher. When it comes to existing subscribers, though, the voucher will be converted into a monetary value first before it's applied to the tier they're in. Thanks to the inflated price of the multi-tiered approach to the service, the time that players get from that value will be significantly reduced from what’s actually advertised on the voucher.

1 Month PS Plus Vouchers will be converted into:

31 days of PS Plus Essential
20 days of PS Plus Extra
17 days of PS Plus Premium

3 Month PS Plus Vouchers will be converted into:

92 days of PS Plus Essential
58 days of PS Plus Extra
46 days of PS Plus Premium

12 Month PS Plus Vouchers will be converted into:

365 days of PS Plus Essential
219 days of PS Plus Extra
183 days of PS Plus Premium

PS Now Vouchers

Thanks to Sony’s planning, buying a PlayStation Now voucher code has already become a lot harder to do than it once was. However, if a player is able to get their hands on one there are several factors that they should be aware of before they redeem it. In every circumstance, regardless of if a player is a new subscriber, Sony will convert the monetary value of the code into an amount of time that’s different from the one advertised.

If a player is a brand-new subscriber with no pre-existing commitments, they’ll automatically be entered into PS Plus’ Premium tier. For everyone who’s already a Plus member, the extra days gained from the code will instead be added to the tier they’re already in.

1 Month PS Now Vouchers will be converted into: