Skip to main content

PlayStation Plus is adding the Yakuza series. Here are what tiers you’ll need

PlayStation has revealed it will be adding all eight mainline Yakuza games to PlayStation Plus throughout the rest of the year, starting in August.

Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be added first into the service next month. Later in the year, Yakuza 3 Remastered, Yakuza 4 Remastered, Yakuza 5 Remastered, and Yakuza 6: Song of Life will be included too.

The revamped PlayStation Plus service has three different tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. The availability of the Yakuza games is spread among them, so it can be a bit confusing, but here is the list as follows:

  • Essential: Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  • Extra: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 6
  • Premium: Yakuza 3 Remastered, Yakuza 4 Remastered, Yakuza 5 Remastered

PlayStation has also announced the three monthly free games that will be included in the Essential tier for August. The aforementioned Yakuza: Like a Dragon is one of them, along with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and Little Nightmares.

It’s finally time that the Yakuza games joined PlayStation’s subscription service, as the series has been on Xbox Game Pass for a good while now. With Yakuza: Like a Dragon joining August 2022’s PlayStation Plus lineup, it’s interesting timing as earlier this month, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku gave us the first glimpse at Yakuza 8.

While Yakuza 8 has been confirmed to be in development, the game hasn’t been officially revealed just yet. There are two upcoming game showcases in the near future, which are Tokyo Game Show and Gamescom. It’s possible we could see Yakuza 8‘s first official trailer at either conference.

Editors' Recommendations

George Yang
George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…
You need to check out this killer action game on PS Plus this month
A character in Rollerdrome skates in an arena.

Of the three games available for no additional cost with a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription this February, the best game isn’t the highest-profile one. A lot of attention is going to Foamstars, the odd multiplayer game Square Enix launched free on PS Plus, but the real gem of February 2024’s PS Plus Essential lineup is Rollerdrome from Roll7 and Private Division.

First released for PS5 and PC in August 2022, I previously described this game as Max Payne meets Skate. Essentially, Rollerdrome is a sports combat game where players must roller-skate around and do tricks in order to accrue ammo used to shoot enemies with guns. It’s a simple gameplay loop and premise that Rollerdrome gets the most out of, and it's a must-play for those looking for some simple yet satisfying action.
Blood sport
In Rollerdrome, players control a character named Kara Hassan as she ascends the ranks in the titular sport, which sees “players” combat each other with deadly weapons. While many of the enemies Kara takes on are mostly static, she can skate around on a pair of rollerblades. Rollerdrome features a full-on combo system like a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater or Skate titles, although it’s not as punishing if you mess up an input or chain together a combo properly.

Read more
PlayStation Plus is the perfect stocking stuffer for RPG fans this year
Yuffie holding three materia in FF7 Remake Intergrade.

I thought I had my fill of gaming subscription services. PlayStation Plus's price increase turned me off and the offerings of Xbox Game Pass never fit my fancy. While both of these have their positives, I've never been one to just drop so much money every month for a bunch of games I don't really care about. That was until I jumped into my yearly Christmas-time RPG mood and discovered the bounty of classics that's built up on PS Plus.

The First 11 Minutes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Gameplay - 60 FPS Performance Mode

Read more
PlayStation Plus is getting a major price hike following Game Pass changes
PlayStation Plus art highlighting the essential, extra, and premium tiers.

Sony confirmed that 12-month subscriptions for PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium will all see price increases alongside the reveal of September's new Essential games on the PlayStation Blog.
Starting on September 6, 12 months of PS Plus Essential goes up in price from $60 to $80, PS Plus Extra's yearly price increases from $100 to $135, and an annual subscription to PS Plus Premium will rise from $120 to $160. 

Sony says it needs to increase the price of all three versions of PlayStation Plus "to continue bringing high-quality games and value-added benefits to your PlayStation Plus subscription service" and that buying a 12-month subscription is still cheaper than subscribing to any of the shorter-term plans over the same period of time. The price hikes comes just a couple of months after Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass. 
When it comes to the games PS Plus Essential subscribers can expect this month, first up is Saints Row, a 2022 reboot of an open-world crime franchise that garnered mixed reviews upon its release. Next is Generation Zero, an open-world sci-fi shooter where players fight evil machines. Finally, those who have not already purchased a version of the MMO Black Desert on PS4 can redeem Black Desert - Traveler Edition, which comes with some additional items; if you have bought a version of Black Desert, you can just redeem the Traveler Item Pack.

Read more