Yes, Sony has removed the free trial for PlayStation Plus

As a veteran gamer and industry commentator, I have some unfortunate news to share. According to multiple reports over the last few months, Sony has officially discontinued the popular free trial for PlayStation Plus.

Why Would Sony Get Rid of the Free Trial?

This surprising move likely relates to the full-scale reboot of PlayStation Plus that occurred earlier in 2022. With the introduction of the new Essential, Extra, and Premium tiers aimed at pushing subscribers to higher levels, Sony may have determined trials were no longer needed to attract entry-level members.

The free 7-day or 14-day PlayStation Plus trials had been around since the launch of the PlayStation 4. For nearly a decade, these free sampling periods gave new users a solid taste of multiplayer gaming, free monthly titles, and other core benefits. But times have changed.

The Strategy Behind the Change

If we analyze Sony‘s possible rationale more closely, eliminating free trials serves to encourage direct first-time purchases instead. With no barriers to entry now, new owners of PS5s or PS4s can more readily spend that initial $9.99 for the Essential plan.

And once subscribed, Sony banks on the hope they‘ll discover the value first-hand and continue renewing. In particular, upgrading to the more profitable Premium tier with its 350+ game catalog could become more tempting after already joining PlayStation Plus.

The Drawbacks of Losing Trials

However, while the business logic is sound, the disappearance of PlayStation Plus free trials also comes with certain disadvantages:

• New users no longer have risk-free sampling of services
• Could discourage some customers on the fence about signing up
• Reduces ability to test PlayStation Plus before purchasing a gift membership

So in many ways, this was a trade-off move by Sony. According to industry sales data though, PlayStation Plus surpassed 45 million subscribers in 2021, so the impact may be minimal.

PlayStation Plus Pricing and Features Breakdown

To help clarify what potential members can now expect, here‘s a detailed comparison of the older free trial terms against the current PlayStation Plus plans:

As displayed above, the Essential package is PlayStation‘s new baseline offering. An added perk here is that even expired free trial users can now regain access by subscribing to Essential.

But for just $5 more per month, PlayStation Plus Extra provides a substantial catalog of downloadable PS4 and PS5 games. This makes it an enticing offer for those disappointed by the discontinued free trial.

My Take as a Gaming Industry Expert

On balance, eliminating PlayStation Plus trials is unlikely to seriously slow subscriber growth or retention based on Sony‘s strong position in the console gaming market. And the expanded features they‘ve packaged into the new membership tiers remain highly competitive.

However, a 1 to 3-day "free preview" could have allowed prospective customers to sample the online multiplayer modes or bonus game catalog. So from a pure advocacy perspective, the removal feels slightly consumer unfriendly.

Yet we also must remember that PlayStation Plus provides vital revenue to support Sony‘s first-party game development. And unlike Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus has avoided any major price hikes recently. Sony likely hopes the increased value in Extra and Premium will speak for itself.

How the Math Works Post-Trial Removal

Here‘s some back of the envelope math on how this could perform financially:

• 45+ million existing PS Plus subscribers as of 2021
• goal of ~60% upgrade rate to Extra based on bonuses
• 10+ million potential new members annually
• up to $5 per month extra revenue from majority
• conservatively $500+ million added yearly without trials

So even factoring in some possible subscriber losses, that‘s quite a haul! No wonder free trials are gone – PlayStation wants to maximize paid sign-ups out the gate.

In Conclusion – Finding the Best PlayStation Plus Deal

While the disappearance of a PlayStation Plus free trial is undoubtedly inconvenient, great membership deals still await new Sony console owners:

• Take advantage of seasonal PlayStation Store sales – keep an eye out for limited-time discounts of 25% off or more
• Buy 12-month PlayStation Plus voucher codes on sale at Amazon, Walmart, or other major retailers
• Strongly consider Extra tier – just $5 more per month for a huge games vault

At the end of the day, a short free trial was never going make-or-break someone‘s decision to join PlayStation Plus. And current rates remain competitive, especially for the first-year intro offers.

So even without sampling PlayStation Plus risk-free anymore, I still recommend all committed PS4 and PS5 gamers dive into a membership. Multiplayer and monthly free titles alone justify the $60 yearly charge in my book. Pending any other shocking changes, PlayStation fans can keep enjoying what PlayStation Plus offers.

Let me know if you need any other gaming insights or have questions around the PlayStation Plus trial removal!