Hey there! If you‘re wondering whether you can play God of War games for free with a PlayStation Plus membership, I‘ve got you covered. Let‘s take a detailed look at exactly which God of War titles are available at no extra cost with an active PS Plus subscription.
The short answer is: Only some of the God of War games are free with PlayStation Plus. The acclaimed 2018 PS4 God of War reboot is free on PS5 via the PS Plus Collection. And several of the classic God of War titles can be streamed on PS4 and PS5 through the PS Plus Premium subscription tier. But most God of War games still need to be purchased separately.
Now let‘s get into the nitty gritty details!
Can I Get God of War on PS4 for Free?
Let‘s start with the hugely popular 2018 God of War reboot on PlayStation 4. This game completely reinvented the franchise, shifting the setting from Greek to Norse mythology. It focuses on an older Kratos living in isolation with his young son Atreus. The more mature and nuanced take on Kratos gained widespread praise from gamers and critics alike.
The great news is – if you own a PlayStation 5, God of War (2018) is available to download and play for free with an active PS Plus membership! It is included in the PlayStation Plus Collection, which is a library of 20 popular PS4 games playable on PS5 via backwards compatibility.
However, there is bad news for PS4 owners. God of War (2018) is not free with PS Plus on just a PlayStation 4 console. You must own a PS5 to get it as part of the PS Plus Collection unfortunately.
This seems like an oversight by Sony. God of War quickly became one of the PS4‘s most beloved exclusive games. Offering it for free on both PS4 and PS5 would be a great incentive for non-PS Plus members to subscribe. Hopefully Sony makes it part of the monthly PS4 PS Plus games at some point too.
Is Upgrading to the PS5 Version of God of War Free?
Now, say you claimed God of War on PS5 via the PS Plus Collection already. Is upgrading from the PS4 version to the native PS5 version free?
Unfortunately, upgrading God of War from PS4 to PS5 is not free. You have to pay an extra $10 USD to upgrade to the enhanced PS5 version.
Some other PlayStation exclusives, like Horizon Forbidden West, offer free next-gen upgrades. But with God of War, you need to pay up extra if you want the benefits of the PS5 version – such as higher resolution visuals, faster load times, and cool DualSense controller haptic feedback.
The lack of a free upgrade here is disappointing. If you own the PS4 disc, you can pay $10 to gain access to the PS5 digital version. Or if you claimed the PS4 version via PS Plus already, cough up $10 more to upgrade. Sony going back to paid upgrades after providing them for free last year is a frustrating reversal.
Is God of War Ragnarok Free on PS Plus?
What about God of War Ragnarök, the massively hyped sequel to the 2018 reboot? Is Kratos‘ latest adventure free on PS Plus?
God of War Ragnarök is not free on a standard PS Plus membership. As a big-budget first-party exclusive, it‘s a full-priced retail game available for $69.99 USD.
Ragnarök continues the emotional father-son story of Kratos and Atreus as they aim to survive the end times in Norse mythology. It is arguably the most anticipated PlayStation title this year based on its incredibly positive reviews.
There is only one way to play God of War Ragnarök for free on PlayStation Plus – through the Premium subscription tier. PS Plus Premium subscribers can access a 2 hour trial of the full game. This allows you to sample the beginning of Ragnarök for free. But the full experience still needs to be purchased normally.
Bottom line – if you‘re hoping to get God of War Ragnarök for free through a standard PS Plus membership, you‘re out of luck. Only a 2 hour trial is available on Premium. You‘ll have to buy it to properly play the complete sequel.
What Other God of War Games Are Free via PlayStation Plus?
Besides the 2018 God of War reboot, what other games in the series can you access for free on PS Plus? This depends on which subscription tier you have:
- PS Plus Essential/Extra – No other God of War games are offered. It‘s just the 2018 PS4 version via the PS5 PS Plus Collection.
- PS Plus Premium – Offers cloud streaming access to God of War 1-3, Chains of Olympus, Ghost of Sparta, and Ascension.
PS Plus Premium includes an extensive catalog of classic PS1, PS2, and PSP games from past PlayStation consoles available via cloud streaming.
This means Premium subscribers can experience the original God of War trilogy of Kratos vs the Greek gods, including:
- God of War (2005)
- God of War II (2007)
- God of War III (2010)
The PSP prequels Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta are also included. And you can stream the PS3-era prequel Ascension too.
So thanks to PS Plus Premium, Kratos‘ entire quest for revenge against Ares and the Greek gods can be played on modern PlayStation consoles. However, unlike regular PS Plus games, these classics aren‘t natively downloadable – you have to stream them over the internet.
There are some disadvantages to game streaming, like video compression artifacts and input lag. But Premium enables access to these older God of War titles in one place. Plus you can stream the full PS3 God of War III, instead of just the PS4 remastered version.
What Are Some Other Ways to Get God of War Games for Free?
If you don‘t want to subscribe to PS Plus Premium just for the classics, here are a few other ways you may be able to get God of War games without paying full price:
- PlayStation Now – Sony‘s older game streaming service also includes God of War 1-3, Chains of Olympus, Ghost of Sparta, and Ascension available to stream.
- PlayStation Store Sales – Major God of War games get discounted up to 50% off or more during PSN sales several times a year. For example, God of War (2018) has been on sale for just $9.99 in the past.
- Physical Disc Resale – Buying used PS4 God of War discs can give you the full game for cheap. Trading forums or eBay are sources for cheap used copies.
- Game Sharing – Share your PSN account with a friend or family member so you both can access each other‘s purchased digital PS4 and PS5 games at no cost.
Should I Wait for God of War Ragnarok to Become Free on PS Plus?
This brings up another good question – should you wait for God of War Ragnarök to inevitably join PS Plus in the future before playing it?
It will definitely come to the monthly PS Plus free games lineup at some point, but likely not for at least 1-2 years after launch. Major first party games tend to be added around 1-2 years post-release.
For example, The Last of Us Part II became available via PS Plus in September 2022, which was around 2 years after its original release date. So you‘re probably looking at late 2024 or 2025 before Ragnarök appears as a free monthly PS Plus title.
If you aren‘t in a huge rush to play Ragnarök and want to save money, waiting for it to hit PS Plus is a decent option. But that means avoiding spoilers for the next couple years!
Otherwise, your best bet is to keep an eye out for Ragnarök discounts during PSN sales. It will almost certainly get price cuts of $10-20 within its first year available. That lets you play it sooner for cheap, before it eventually comes to PS Plus down the road.
In Conclusion
Let‘s summarize which God of War games you can get for free with an active PlayStation Plus subscription:
- God of War (2018) is free with PS Plus on PS5 via the PlayStation Plus Collection – but NOT on PS4.
- God of War 1-3, Chains of Olympus, Ghost of Sparta, and Ascension can be streamed on PS4/PS5 with a PS Plus Premium membership.
- God of War Ragnarok is NOT free on standard PS Plus, only a 2 hour trial is available on Premium.
To experience the complete God of War saga, you‘ll need to purchase the games separately, look for discounts, or subscribe to PS Plus Premium for the classics. Ragnarok will probably come to the regular PS Plus monthly free games in 1-2 years after release.
I hope this detailed breakdown helps explain exactly how to get God of War games for free with PlayStation Plus! Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy reliving Kratos‘ iconic journey against the Greek and Norse gods!
