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To claim a monthly PlayStation Plus game on a PS5, sign in to the account with the eligible membership, open PlayStation Plus from the Games home screen, choose Benefits and Monthly Games, select the current title, then choose Download (or Add to Library first if that option appears). Afterward, the game is available from Game Library. You can also select a PlayStation Plus game in a web browser or the PlayStation App and start a download to your PS5.
What “free” means on PS5
PlayStation’s Monthly Games benefit makes selected games available “at no extra cost during your PlayStation Plus membership.” The games are not a permanent giveaway detached from the subscription. The entitlement is associated with the PlayStation account that claims it, and you should keep an active eligible PlayStation Plus membership to retain access.
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Monthly Games are time-sensitive. PlayStation adds a new selection every calendar month, so a title can stop being claimable when that month’s availability period ends. Claiming a game during its period establishes the entitlement; downloading it is a separate step that installs the game on your console.
This is different from a genuinely free-to-play game. PlayStation Store has a Free to Play category for PS5 games, and most free-to-play titles do not require PlayStation Plus. PlayStation specifically gives Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty Warzone as examples. Those games are not part of the rotating Monthly Games benefit.
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Claim a Monthly Game directly on your PS5
Use this route when you are at the console and want to add the current PlayStation Plus title to your account and install it.
- Sign in to the correct account. Use the PlayStation account that has the eligible PlayStation Plus membership. If several people use the console, check the profile before opening the store or subscription pages; an entitlement claimed on another account will not appear as yours.
- Open PlayStation Plus. From the PS5 Games home screen, scroll to and select PlayStation Plus.
- Open Benefits. Within the PlayStation Plus area, select the Benefits tab.
- Choose Monthly Games. This section displays the games offered for the current calendar month. Select the title you want while it is still listed as available.
- Claim and install it. Highlight the game and choose Download. If your interface shows Add to Library before download, select that option first, then start the download. Adding it to the library records the entitlement; downloading installs the game and uses console storage.
- Check Game Library. After claiming, open Game Library to locate the title later, whether or not you install it immediately.
The exact presentation can vary slightly as the PS5 interface changes, but the important path is Games home screen → PlayStation Plus → Benefits → Monthly Games. Selecting the monthly title and completing the claim is what associates it with your account.
Claim or download the game remotely
PlayStation supports a remote route through either a web browser or the PlayStation App. This is useful when you are away from the console or want to queue an installation from a phone.
Using a web browser
- Open PlayStation’s web experience and sign in to the same PlayStation account that holds the eligible PlayStation Plus membership.
- Find the current PlayStation Plus Monthly Game.
- Select the game and use the download control to start a download to your PS5.
The browser route is still account-based: selecting a title while signed in to a different account can leave the game absent from the profile you use on the console.
Using the PlayStation App
- Open the PlayStation App and sign in to the account with the eligible membership.
- Select the PlayStation Plus game for the current month.
- Start the download to your PS5 from the game’s page.
The App also exposes Games Library and Purchased areas for owned games and add-ons. Those sections are useful for checking whether a title was already claimed, even if it is not currently installed.
Find a claimed game in Game Library
Claiming and installing are separate. If you selected Add to Library but did not download the game, it should still be discoverable from Game Library. Open the library from the PS5 Games home screen and inspect the listings associated with your account, including PlayStation Plus-related entries.
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If you used the PlayStation App, check Games Library and Purchased. The App’s library view can confirm that the game belongs to the signed-in account and provide a route to begin a remote download.
A game that is visible in the library but not on the home screen has generally been claimed but not currently installed or pinned among the recent games. Use the library entry to begin the installation rather than trying to claim the monthly offer again.
Claiming is not the same as downloading
| Action | What it does | Storage effect |
|---|---|---|
| Add to Library | Records the PlayStation Plus entitlement on the signed-in account when that option is offered. | Does not by itself install the game. |
| Download | Installs the claimed game on the PS5, either from the console or through a supported remote route. | Uses PS5 console storage. |
| Game Library | Shows games associated with the account, including PlayStation Plus games, so you can find a title later. | Viewing the listing uses no game-installation space. |
If storage is limited, claim the title first and postpone the download. The entitlement and the local installation are different things, so you do not have to install every monthly game on the day you add it.
Monthly Games versus genuinely free-to-play games
| Question | PlayStation Plus Monthly Games | Free-to-play games |
|---|---|---|
| Do you need PlayStation Plus? | Yes. Access is tied to an eligible PlayStation Plus membership. | Most do not require PlayStation Plus. |
| How is the selection delivered? | New titles are added every calendar month and the offer is time-sensitive. | They are listed in the PlayStation Store’s Free to Play category rather than being the rotating Monthly Games benefit. |
| What do you claim? | A subscription-based entitlement associated with the account that claims the title. | A free-to-play listing that is generally available without the Monthly Games entitlement. |
| Where can you get it? | From PS5 PlayStation Plus menus, a web browser or the PlayStation App. | From the PlayStation Store’s Free to Play area. |
| What uses storage? | Downloading and installing the game uses PS5 storage; claiming alone does not install it. | Downloading and installing also uses PS5 storage. |
Use the Monthly Games route when you mean a game included with your subscription for the current month. Use the Free to Play category when you want a game that is not being offered through that rotating benefit.
Why a claimed game may be missing
Work through these checks in order. Each one addresses a different reason a title may not appear where you expect it.
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Confirm that the PS5 profile, browser session or PlayStation App is signed in to the same PlayStation account used to claim the game. A title claimed by another account will not become part of your account’s library simply because both profiles use the same console.
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2. Check Game Library, not only the home screen
Open Game Library and inspect the purchased or PlayStation Plus-related listings. A game can be claimed without being installed, so it may not appear among the games currently shown on the Games home screen.
3. Check the App’s library areas
If you claimed or managed the title remotely, open Games Library and Purchased in the PlayStation App. These areas are relevant for checking owned games and add-ons associated with the account.
4. Confirm the membership is active
Monthly Game access is tied to the eligible PlayStation Plus membership. If the membership is no longer active, the game may not be playable even though it was previously claimed. The official guidance does not state one universal retention period independent of membership status, so do not treat a claim as a permanent license that works without the subscription.
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5. Check when you claimed it
Monthly selections change each calendar month. If you did not claim the title during its availability period, it may no longer be offered in the Monthly Games section. A later month’s selection does not automatically add earlier titles to your account.
6. Distinguish an entitlement problem from an installation problem
If the game appears in Game Library, the account has a listing for it and the issue is likely whether it has been downloaded. If it is absent from the library as well, revisit the account, membership and monthly-availability checks before attempting another download.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Best route for common situations
- You are at the PS5 and want to play now: Use PlayStation Plus → Benefits → Monthly Games, select the current title and choose Download.
- You are at the PS5 but want to save storage: Choose Add to Library when offered, then find the title later in Game Library when you are ready to install it.
- You are away from the console: Use the PlayStation App or a web browser, sign in to the correct account, select the PlayStation Plus game and start a remote download to the PS5.
- You want a game that does not depend on the monthly rotation: Browse the PlayStation Store’s Free to Play category and check the individual listing’s membership requirement.
- You cannot find a title you remember claiming: Check the account first, then Game Library, membership status and the month in which you claimed it.
Important timing and access details
There are two dates to keep in mind: the month in which the game is offered and the period during which your PlayStation Plus membership remains eligible. Claim the title before the current Monthly Games period ends, then maintain the eligible membership if you want to retain access. PlayStation’s official pages do not establish a single membership-independent retention period for all claimed Monthly Games.
Remote claiming and downloading do not change those entitlement rules. The browser and App are alternative access routes to the same account-based PlayStation Plus benefit, not separate ways to obtain a title permanently without the membership.
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Quick checklist
- Use the PlayStation account with the eligible PlayStation Plus membership.
- On PS5, open PlayStation Plus from the Games home screen.
- Choose Benefits, then Monthly Games.
- Select the current month’s title while it is available.
- Choose Download, or choose Add to Library first if shown.
- Open Game Library to find the title later.
- For remote access, use the PlayStation App or a web browser and start the download to your PS5.
- If the game is missing, check the account, library listing, membership status and claim month.
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