Total Number of Games
Before tallying each service’s total amount of games offered this year, it’s important to put in perspective how free games on each platform are divided in terms of hardware. Microsoft’s Games with Gold offerings on Xbox One include two free games native to the platform and two games native to last generation’s Xbox 360. While technically each console gets two titles each, all four are available via Xbox One’s backwards compatibility feature. This means that in reality Xbox One users are getting four free games to play on their system a month despite the possibility that some of these may be much older than others.
Sony’s PS Plus Instant Games Collection is much more straightforward, though there are some titles that are available across PlayStation platforms. In theory the PS3, PS Vita, and PS4 each get two free games. Some of these titles, however, are available to be played both on Vita and/or PS4, though technically may have originated on one or the other. This means that while one offering fits into the category as the free Vita game for a specific month, it can simultaneously be considered as a free game for PS4 users as well.
Keeping all of this and the consoles you own in mind, this year saw Xbox Live Gold give 48 titles to Xbox One users, all of which are compatible to play on the system. PS Plus’s Instant Games Collection saw 74 titles offered across PS3, Vita, and PS4. When strictly considering PS4 users, that number drops somewhat drastically down to 41, though this doesn’t include the Collection’s introduction of VR games into the mix.
Should you own an eighth generation console solely to play eighth generation games, each service is fairly equal in the amount of titles they provide, though Xbox One owners do get a bit more bang for their buck. This being said, should you own a PS4 and PSVR or Vita, the PS Plus Instant Games Collection is a much more sound investment when only considering numbers. Ultimately the real winner here is you, as you’re getting tons of games you probably won’t have the time to play regardless.