Topic: Can you buy a game from Playstation Plus Extra if you only have Essential?

I was just curious if youre able to buy a game from Playstation Plus Extra even if youre subscribed to Essential?

@XandertheWise
All of the games on the extra tier should be available to purchase regardless of whether you have PS+ or not. Just search the store.

@XandertheWise aye I do it all the time… too much infact 😅

@sorteddan well i only have Plus Essential

original Final Fantasy VII is on sale but its part of Plus Extra. Would I be able to buy that or do I have to change my Plus subscription to Extra to buy the game?

I only have essential as well. And I'm fairly sure I've bought stuff that was on extra at the time.
Have you tried?

If you changed your subscription to extra you wouldn't have to buy it, you could play it as part of the subscription.

@sorteddan That would involve using just a smidge of common sense.

@XandertheWise Yes, you can definitely buy a game which is in the Extra catalog when you are an Essential subscriber.

In fact, I am an active Extra subscriber and I can also purchase games in the Extra catalog, as long as I’ve not added the game to my library yet. For a game that’s on Extra I have the option to “add to library” (which is a free transaction), or “add to cart” to purchase the game to own permanently. However, once I add the game to my library, the only option I have from then on is “download to console.” It won’t let me buy a game that is already in my library and is still part of the Extra catalog.

i see

what i also find a bit odd is that for the playstation 3 Psn store, you have to go to the playstation store.com website to add a paymenth method and use a debit card and not a Vanilla gift card which is pretty messed up.

Playstation 4 PSN store lets me use a Vanilla gift card and/or a PLaystation PSN card if im on the console.

but i have to use funds yada yada for a Playstation 3 game DLC or a game for my Playstation 3, then I have to go to the playstation store website on my laptop and do the transfer funds and end up having to using my debit card.

Dunno why this year the Playstation 3 console's PSN store wont let you enter the info of a Vanilla gift card.

annoying crap like this i cant stand at all

@XandertheWise It's because Sony removed the Add Funds facility from the PS3 and Vita - I think they mentioned something about security & they've probably lost the source code & skills to make modifications to the PS3 and Vita OSs or whatever it talks to at the back end.

They specified a while ago that you have to add funds to your account/wallet via a PS4, PS5 or online (best stick with the vastly superior PS4 Store!) and then you can use the PS3 or Vita Store, such as they are these days, to buy games & DLC. If it's a cross-buy title that includes the PS4, you can buy the game on the PS4 Store and then it'll be available for download on PS3, Vita, etc.

Important to note, you have to be using the same PSN account on the PS3 and PS4 in order to do this, otherwise the funds will be visible on the PS4 but not on the PS3.

PS4 is still a fully supported live console so its Store front/back end has been updated and can still support the standard payment methods (credit, debit, PayPal, etc.)

@sanderson72 yes i frikkin know that.

its just that they have to make it so damn difficult and complicated. its annoying where I have to hook up my Playstation 3 and sign in to get into my Playstation 3's PSN store.

then to get on my laptop and to sign in the Playstation store and to do the whole thing with entering paymenth methods etc.

I liked it better when you didnt have to do this and that when it was just the Playstation 3 to get in the PSN store a few years back