What happens to free games obtained through PlayStation Plus after it expires?

Question

I bought a three months membership for PlayStation Plus some time ago. This membership has already expired. While it was active, I got the classic PSOne Resident Evil titles for free. Will I be able to re-download them now without having to purchase a new PSPlus membership?

Answer 1

You will not be able to re-download them, or play any games that you had previously downloaded & installed via Playstation Plus. If you try to download any of the games from your download history, it will not work.

However, if you later decide to renew your subscription, these games will become available for use again. They are even re-downloadable, as long as you added the games to your cart and successfully checked out before their free offer period passed.

Q: How long do I get to keep the games in the Instant Game Collection?

A: Games in the Instant Game Collection are free to download with a Plus membership. As long as you're a PlayStation Plus member, you'll always have access to any game you've downloaded in the collection, even if you've deleted a game from your hard drive previously.

Q: If a game rotates out of the collection, can I still download it free with my Plus membership?

A: If you did not download the game when it was in the collection, you will not be able to secure your free download. However, if you downloaded when it was in the collection, but it's no longer on your hard drive, you can visit the PlayStation Store and re-download it anytime, as long as you're a member.

Q: How many times can I download / re-download a game in the Instant Game Collection?

A: You can download a game as many times as you like, even if it's been deleted from your PS3 HDD, as long as you're a Plus member.

Q: What happens to the games I downloaded from the Instant Game Collection if I decide to not renew my membership?

A: You will not be able to access free games downloaded with Plus if you choose not to renew your membership. However, if you decide to re-activate your membership, you will once again be able to play all games downloaded from the Instant Game Collection.

More information can be found at PSN's Support page here.

Answer 2

Once your PlayStation Plus (PS+) membership expired all "free" games (and DLC) obtained will not be accessible until you renew your subscription.

Attempting to launch an expired game will launch a message that says "This content can be used if you renew the license in PlayStation Store." You'll then be redirected to the PlayStation Store, where you will be able to purchase the expired title.

• All "free" games (and DLC) obtained from PS+ WILL be expire.
• Free themes and avatars do NOT expire.
• Anything that you've purchased at a discounted price will NOT expire.

See Section 10a of the PS3 Terms of Service, "Subscription Services".

If you (sign in to) resubscribe after your subscription expires, the games will work again. You will not have to re-download them.

Answer 3

You will not be able to play them. I am not sure if you can download them or not. PSN prompts before the purchase of these titles that they are only valid as long as your a member.

Renewing your subscriptions will open these games back up or you can purchase them. If you have not had your subscription for more than 3 months the only thing you will lose is your games saves that were in the PSN cloud.