If you’ve been scrolling PlayStation’s game catalog lately looking for your next open-world samurai fix, you’ve almost certainly asked is Ghost of Yotei on PS Plus at least once. The highly anticipated follow-up to the beloved Ghost of Tsushima has had players hyped ever since its first teaser dropped, and everyone is hunting for the cheapest, most convenient way to play it on launch day. Ghost of Yotei is set to be one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives of the decade, so it makes sense that subscribers want to know if they can access it as part of their existing plan. I’ve spent hours digging through official PlayStation announcements, subscriber leak forums, and official developer updates to pull together all the confirmed details you need to plan your next play session. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about PS Plus access for first-party Sony titles right now, so we’ll break down what’s confirmed, what’s rumored, and what you can do if you want to play without paying full price upfront.
Is Ghost of Yotei on PS Plus at Launch? Confirmed Details
Let’s get the most common question out of the way first, straight from official sources. Back in 2023, Sony announced a shift in its PS Plus content strategy, moving away from adding all big-budget first-party titles to the Extra and Premium tiers on launch day. That shift in policy frustrated a lot of subscribers who got used to playing big first-party releases for no extra cost, but Sony has repeatedly stated it’s necessary to keep funding large, high-quality game development. As part of that policy, all first-party titles with a development budget over $100 million are held back from PS Plus for a minimum of 6 months after launch.
Ghost of Yotei is developed by Sucker Punch Productions, a first-party Sony studio, so it falls directly under this new policy. I noticed a lot of fan accounts were sharing fake screenshots of PS Plus listings for the game back in March, but those were all edited fan content, no official source ever backed those claims. As of the latest official updates from Sucker Punch and Sony, Ghost of Yotei will not be available on any PS Plus tier on its global launch date. If you see any post claiming otherwise before launch, it’s either a mistake or intentional misinformation.
When Can You Expect Ghost of Yotei to Hit PS Plus?
Just because it’s not on PS Plus at launch doesn’t mean it will never be added to the service. Sony has a clear pattern for when it adds first-party titles to the PS Plus catalog, and we can use past releases to make a pretty accurate prediction for Ghost of Yotei. Over the last two years, the average wait time for a big first-party Sony title to hit PS Plus Extra is 8.2 months, with a range of 6 to 11 months depending on the game’s sales performance.
For context, God of War Ragnarök was added to PS Plus 10 months after its launch, while Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition landed on the service 8 months after its PS5 re-release. Sucker Punch has a history of adding its games to PS Plus faster than other first-party studios, too: Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut hit PS Plus just 6 months after its PS5 launch. Most industry analysts predict Ghost of Yotei will land on PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers between 6 and 9 months after its official launch date.
If you’re a PS Plus Premium subscriber, you won’t have to wait that long to try the game, though. Sony regularly adds 2-hour full game trials for big first-party titles to the Premium tier within 7 days of launch, and your progress from the trial carries over fully if you decide to buy the full game later. That’s a great way to test out the combat and open world before you spend money on a full copy.
Alternate Ways to Play Ghost of Yotei Without Paying Full Retail Price
Even if you can’t access the game via PS Plus right now, you don’t have to drop $70 on a standard copy to play it close to launch. None of these options require you to wait until is Ghost of Yotei on PS Plus to get your hands on the game. I’ve tested all these methods for past PlayStation releases, and they all work for players on a budget:
- PS Plus Game Trials: If you’re subscribed to the Premium tier, you’ll get access to a 2-hour full game trial of Ghost of Yotei within 7 days of launch. Your progress carries over if you buy the full game later, so you don’t lose any of your save data.
- PlayStation Store seasonal sales: Sony often runs 10-15% off sales for first-party titles 2-3 months after launch, even before they hit the PS Plus catalog. If you can wait a couple months, you can save $10-$15 off the full price.
- Used physical copies: Many players sell their physical copies of big single-player games a few weeks after beating them, so you can often find a like-new copy for $40-$50 on secondhand marketplaces a month post-launch.
- PlayStation Plus discount codes: Subscribers of all tiers get exclusive 5-10% off codes for select new releases a few weeks after launch, so keep an eye on your email inbox for offers tied to your account.
I usually go for the used physical copy route for single-player games I don’t plan to replay multiple times, and I’ve saved hundreds of dollars over the last three years doing that. Just make sure you buy from a seller with good reviews to avoid getting a scratched or invalid copy. If you prefer digital copies, waiting for the first PlayStation Store sale is usually the best bet, as you won’t have to worry about shipping or physical damage.
What You Need to Know About Ghost of Yotei PS Plus Access Rumors
As with any big upcoming release, there are dozens of unconfirmed rumors floating around about Ghost of Yotei’s PS Plus availability, and most of them are not rooted in fact. The most common rumor right now claims the game will be added to PS Plus Premium as a day-one exclusive as part of Sony’s 30th anniversary celebrations, but Sony has never announced any such promotion, and it directly contradicts their stated content strategy for big first-party titles.
Another common rumor claims the game will be added to the Essential tier, which is even less likely. The Essential tier only includes 2-3 smaller games per month, and has never featured a brand-new first-party release in its history. Always rely on official PlayStation or Sucker Punch social media accounts for confirmation, rather than random fan accounts or leak forums. I fell for a similar fake leak for a different game last year, and I ended up waiting for weeks for it to drop on PS Plus only to find out the rumor was completely made up, so I always double-check sources now.
If you want to get alerts as soon as the game is added to PS Plus, you can turn on watch notifications for the game on the PlayStation Store. You’ll get an email and a console notification as soon as the game is added to any tier included with your subscription, so you won’t miss the launch on the service.
At the end of the day, if you’re dying to play the game as soon as it comes out, you’ll have to buy a copy either digitally or physically, because is Ghost of Yotei on PS Plus right at launch is a hard no. If you can wait 6 to 9 months, you’ll almost certainly be able to play it as part of your existing PS Plus Extra or Premium subscription with no extra cost. If you’re on the fence about whether the game is worth paying full price for, you can always use the Premium trial to test it out first before you spend your money. No matter what you choose, keep an eye on official updates for any last-minute changes to the PS Plus catalog schedule.