PlayStation owners can get Stray for free this week – even without a paid PS Plus sub

Some PlayStation owners will be able to play this week’s new wave of PS Plus games – including Annapurna Interactive’s Stray – for free, even if they don’t pay for a subscription.

That’s thanks to a seven-day membership trial for the new PS Plus that’s been quietly added for new users on PlayStation’s website, as spotted by XGP.

By navigating over to the PlayStation site, users can sign up for a seven-day free trial of any of the PlayStation Plus tiers, including the top Premium tier which includes access to a catalogue of 400 PS4 and PS5 games, as well as a selection of PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games.

On Tuesday, Extra and Premium members will get day one access to Annapurna’s Stray, meaning that new members will effectively be able to download and complete the game for free using the trial.

A credit card is required to sign up for the free trial, and currently, the free trial offer appears to only be available in Europe.

Users can cancel their subscription at any time, whether at the end of the trial period or at the end of the period for which they have already paid.

PlayStation Plus Premium usually costs £13.49 a month, while PS Plus Extra costs £10.99 a month.

Annapurna and BlueTwelve’s Stray has players controlling a nameless cat as it explores a futuristic city. “Although it’s your typical 3D platformer, there’s obviously a bit more verticality than you would usually see in the genre, due to the cat’s jumping ability,” we wrote in a recent preview.

Although the cat is the star of the game, it isn’t the sole protagonist. It’s joined by B12 (a nod to the studio’s name, BlueTwelve), a robot who accompanies the cat on its adventure. B12 has the ability to talk to the other robots that inhabit the city and can translate what they’re saying.

Further reading

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In addition to Stray, from July 19 PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members will be able to play Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Marvel’s Avengers, five Assassin’s Creed games and two Saints Row titles.

PlayStation Plus Premium members will also gain access to two more classic games on the same date: PSP titles No Heroes Allowed! and LocoRoco Midnight Carnival.