It kicks off with Sonic X Shadow Generations already available. It’s an excellent platformer which sees the titular hedgehog take on Black Doom in a trip through his own past, which we found quite enjoyable. Final Fantasy 16 is next on the list, and we’ve made our thoughts on that one pretty clear when it first came out – decide for yourself when it drops on June 16th. We’re also getting Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Life is Strange: Double Exposure on June 23 for the UK, US, and Japan regions on June 23.

Finally, Black Desert, Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 are rounding out the rest of the category’s additions, and they’re dropping on June 30. If you’re a Premium subscriber, you’ve also got the cult classic PS2 rhythm title Gitaroo Man to look forward to on June 16 with a global release on the service.

Available on PS5 and PS4, Grounded needs no introduction. It’s Obsidian Entertainment’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, mashed with a fun survival crafting gameplay loop. As one of a handful of minuscule teens, players must survive their backyard. Insects manifest in massive ways, and you’ll need to craft armor and weapons from their remains to survive. Thankfully, there’s support for up to four players in co-op, so you can offload some of the base-building work.

Also available on the same platforms is Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and if you’ve played a platform fighter like Super Smash Bros. or Rivals of Aether, this should feel familiar. The roster includes SpongeBob SquarePants, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron and more. Finally, there’s Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, a PS5 title focused primarily on a squad of Rejects battling through the Hive City of Tertium to eliminate the forces of Chaos.

And if you didn’t redeem it this month, EA Sports FC 26 is available until June 16th. The rest of the line-up must be redeemed by July 6th, though, so grab them when you can.

Well, it seems like Sony’s tweet on the subject didn’t really mention the fact that those hikes were also applicable to the Extra and Premium tiers. Each sees a $2 increase if you’re buying only a month, while it’s a $4 increase for three months. Yearly subscriptions remain unaffected, though, which is probably for the best since an increase might have earned Sony a few more disgruntled customers and strongly worded complaints.

The price increase follows increases in PS5 and PS5 Pro prices, and is sure to further fuel concerns about the PS6’s potential price tag. However, with Marvel’s Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6 coming out later this year, Sony still has a lot going for it as far as bringing in new players is concerned. We would have appreciated a better-worded announcement, though, and we’re sure a lot of you feel the same way.

Let’s hope that Sony learns the right lessons from this little snafu, and perhaps spends some time thinking about how its announcements could be interpreted, especially with the next State of Play coming on June 2nd (and apparently featuring other exclusives than Wolverine).

The hike applies to new subscribers only, barring those in India and Turkey. However, if you change your subscription or it lapses, then be prepared to pay the increased rate. As far as strategies to current subscribers locked in, this would certainly be one of the more unorthodox.

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium remain unchanged, though you would have to think that Sony is contemplating the game. It is interesting how XBOX (recently rebranded from Xbox) hiked Game Pass prices across the board last year before recently announcing a decrease to the Ultimate and PC tiers. Granted, that’s with the caveat that future Call of Duty titles will skip the service, but still.

Perhaps PlayStation Plus Essential’s price increase is due to being the most popular tier, and Sony wants to capitalise on that growth without appearing to go overboard. Either way, stay tuned for any potential changes to other tiers in the coming months.

While the former has seen multiple updates to improve every single aspect of the experience, the latter is one of the greatest games ever made. So whether you’re exploring the Outer Rim to put together a crew as Kay Vess or trying to secure one last score as Arthur Morgan, there’s plenty of value to be had (especially since Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online).

Of course, there are other notable titles to look forward to. Both PS4 and PS5 players can play Bramble: The Mountain King and Broken Sword – Shadows of the Templar: Reforged. PS5 players gain exclusive access to Enotria: The Last Song and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn for some Souls-like action alongside The Thaumaturge, a more narrative-focused experience.

Of course, Premium subscribers also get access to arcade light gun shooter Time Crisis as part of the Classics catalogue. Besides the special stages exclusive to the PS One version, it also features gyro aiming on both PS4 and PS5, among other features.

The former was recently embroiled in controversy after director/producer Xia Siyuan was allegedly fired and the core development team dissolved. Digital Bros, the parent company of 505 Games, would then acquire the IP for €4 million, which could explain its inclusion on PlayStation Plus. Regardless, it’s a solid Souls-like action RPG that’s worth a look.

As for Nine Sols, it’s one of the better 2D Metroidvania titles. Launched last year for consoles, it offers a gorgeous art style and music coupled with hard-hitting parry-focused gameplay. You can check out our review for more details, but suffice it to say that it’s well worth your time.

All three titles will be available for subscribers from May 5th to June 1st. You can check out last month’s offerings – which include Lords of the Fallen – here. Of course, this is all in addition to a pretty healthy spread of new titles for Extra and Premium subscribers, including Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and The Crew Motorfest. Head here for more details.

Other titles to look forward to include The Casting of Frank Stone, Supermassive Games’ narrative adventure based on Dead by Daylight lore; The Crew Motorfest, a Forza Horizon-esque racer set in Hawaii; and Football Manager 26 Console. You can also play indie efforts like Monster Train and Squirrel with a Gun or delve into Koei Tecmo’s rogue-lite Musou, Warriors: Abyss.

There isn’t much in terms of Classics, with Premium subscribers receiving access to Wild Arms 4. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006, it’s less of a Wild West romp compared to its predecessors, which earned it a mixed reception. As with many classic titles, you can experience it with quality-of-life features like up-rendering, custom video filters, rewind, and quick save.

With a new State of Play rumored to take place on April 16th, we could see even more announcements and additions to the service for the coming months. Stay tuned for updates and check out the current slate of PlayStation Plus Essential offerings.

Lords of the Fallen is a reboot of sorts to a 2014 Souls-like action RPG of the same name. Things are much different this time around, from Adyr resurrecting to cause mayhem in the world of Axiom to players being able to traverse Umbral, the land of the dead. It’s a pretty hefty package, especially for Dark Souls lovers, which has been improved multiple times courtesy of dozens of patches.

If you’ve seen Lords of the Fallen 2, then this is a good way to get on the hype train before its alleged launch in August. As for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, it collects all three of Lara Croft’s original adventures into a single package. The visuals have been revamped (though you can still enable the original art style), and there’s even a Challenge Mode with ten new outfits to unlock.

As for Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, well, it’s SAO. Not much else to expect if you’ve played the previous games, but at least there are 21 different characters, and you can team up in a party of four to undertake a raid that supports 20 players online.

With almost 1.5 years’ worth of free updates and content additions, it stands out as one of the best third-person shooters and Warhammer titles available, either solo or with friends. If you prefer other less stressful co-op titles, there’s Astroneer for PS4 and PS5 and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5 only) that offer some survival crafting fun.

EA Sports Madden NFL 26 on PS5 is for the sports fans, while Metal Eden may suit those looking for more fast-paced, first-person shooter action. If that wasn’t enough, PS4 and PS5 players can dive into Persona 5 Royal, which features new additions to the battle system, numerous quality of life improvements and an entire new story act over the original, complete with a new ending (with previous-gen players getting the Ultimate Edition).

Meanwhile, Premium subscribers get exclusive access to none other than Tekken: Dark Resurrection from the PSP era.

Released in March 2021 for Nintendo Switch and only arriving in January 2023 for other consoles, Monster Hunter Rise is a more pared-down experience compared to World and Wilds. However, it offers the new Wirebug for getting around (and unleashing new skills), and players can also mount Palamutes to explore maps. There’s also the Rampage, a tower defense-style mission type.

Slime Rancher 2 was released last year after an extensive time in early access and serves as the follow-up to Monomi Park’s beloved farming title. Players venture to a new planet to raise slimes, which have new variants, and even uncover various new mysteries.

As for PGA Tour 2K25, it’s the latest title in 2K’s series developed by HB Studios, and offers several Championships, a new MyCareer mode, and more. Despite a solid launch, it received several egregious microtransactions shortly after, so be warned. Finally, there’s The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road, which includes the 2024 expansion and everything else before, making it a decent entry point into the MMO.

All of the above titles are available from March 3rd to April 6th. Check out February’s offerings here and redeem them while you can.