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The streaming phenomenon has at long last (probably inevitably) built a bridge over to gaming from movies and TV. For PlayStation gamers, you can now get a 12-month subscription to Plus Essential, the console’s streaming service featuring hundreds of games, and a lifetime subscription to KeepSolid’s VPN unlimited, for just $69.99. For context, that’s over 70% off for the bundle — the PlayStation Plus Essential subscription is a $59.99 value on its own and the VPN lifetime subscription clocks in at $199.99. But still, this deal isn’t for all gamers (and it certainly helps to have a PlayStation specifically). Read on to see if this deal is a great one for you.
Learn more: Get a 12-month subscription to Plus Essential, the console’s streaming service featuring hundreds of games, and a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited bundled for just $69.99.
What reviewers say about PlayStation Plus Essential: This streaming service comes with over 700 games with two or three bonus monthly games, online play, multiplayer, cloud saves, and PlayStation Store discounts. The consensus among the tech rags is that while the subscription is a great deal — like most early editions of streaming services — there are some aspects to it that may leave some users miffed. PlayStation Plus Essential offers “hundreds of games, cloud streaming, monthly bonus games and online multiplayer access. What it doesn’t offer, however, is a clean interface to make it easy to find games,” CNET writes. According to CNET, it’s essentially a combination and evolution of Sony’s pilot streaming services, PS Plus and PS Now, and in that sense it is an upgrade. “As for the games available, they’re some of the best on the PlayStation console. This includes Death Stranding Director’s Cut, God of War (2018), Demon’s Souls (the updated 2020 version), Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Red Dead Redemption 2, Control and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” the reviewer writes.
However, note that this deal is for the lowest tier available (Extra and Premium are the two larger, more expensive offerings). If you’re into newer games, it probably has what you want — and reviewers at CNN Underscored contend the most expensive option still needs some work. “The new PlayStation Plus offers a good amount of games and features for the money, but the Premium tier still needs some fleshing out. Unless you care about the classics, most gamers will be fine with the Essential or Extra options.”
Learn more: Get a 12-month subscription to Plus Essential, the console’s streaming service featuring hundreds of games, and a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited bundled for just $69.99.
What reviewers say about KeepSolid’s VPN Unlimited: A VPN can unlock lots of additional international options for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers, but it’s also useful on its own, allowing you to protect yourself and your data both on secure and on public WiFi, access international servers and even stream programming on platforms like Netflix that may be unavailable at home. “VPN Unlimited has a lot going for it.Its streaming-optimized servers unblocked almost every platform I tested. It doesn’t keep any logs, and has good security features to keep you safe online. It also works in China, and has very helpful customer support,” writes VPN review site VPNMentor.
TechRadar writes: “KeepSolid offers excellent performance for a fair price, and apps that run on almost everything.” The downside? “It’s short on servers, the device management is annoying, and the Windows kill switch needs work, but if you can live with those hassles, it’s well worth a look,” the reviewer adds. I’ll note the price is perhaps even fairer with this deal.
How to claim this deal: Once you buy the bundle on Stacksocial, you’ll receive redemption codes and instructions on how to claim the deal. If you decide to spring for it and have any questions or concerns, you can contact their Customer Support team using this form.
This dealhunter’s take: To be completely forthright, I am not an advanced gamer — my skills are limited mostly to buttonmashing my way through Tekken and Soul Caliber at parties, Rock Band and the occasional racing game or Mario Kart. That said, I am still considering springing for this deal myself for the savings on the unlimited VPN alone. Because the codes are separate, I might pass on the redemption code to my best friend who I have had trouble pulling away from video games for over 15 years. So that loophole does exist for people who are seeking access to a high quality VPN at a super discounted price (and maybe a gift for a friend or family member). I’m tired of waiting to watch the next season of Derry Girls, after all.
Learn more: Get a 12-month subscription to Plus Essential, the console’s streaming service featuring hundreds of games and a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited bundled for just $69.99.
About this column: Since you’re here, let me introduce myself: I’m Maddy Perkins, deputy commerce editor for MarketWatch Picks. I’m a big online shopper who loves a good deal — particularly when it comes to cool kitchen gadgets, electronics, fashion and beauty products. I’ll be here a few times a week to share the best deals I can find online with you. Have anything you’d like me to hunt down? Write me at maddy.perkins@marketwatch.com. Cheers!
The advice, recommendations or rankings expressed in this article are those of MarketWatch Picks, and have not been reviewed or endorsed by our commercial partners.
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Maddy Perkins is deputy commerce editor for MarketWatch Picks.
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