Anyone buying a PlayStation 4 this holiday needs to know one crucial thing

You finally got a PlayStation 4! It's all happening!

But, uh, now what?

Okay, yes, definitely play "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain." But also, at some point on that first day, there's one other crucial thing you should do: pay for an annual subscription to PlayStation Plus.

What's PlayStation Plus?

PlayStation Plus, a paid loyalty program, is a crucial addition to your PlayStation 4. Why?

• It enables you to play games online with other people!
• It gives you monthly discounts on games and movies!
• But, most importantly, it gives you free games every month. Free! For the duration of your subscription!

What types of games? Really great games! Like "Rocket League":

And "Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes":

And "Spelunky":

For a small annual fee ($50/year, or $10/month if you prefer a shorter commitment), you get what Sony calls an "Instant Game Collection." This month, that means two pretty great games on the PlayStation 4:

And every month that game library grows. As long as you continue paying for PlayStation Plus, you retain access to every game you've ever downloaded for free. Pretty incredible!

So let's do some quick math:

• "The Walking Dead: Season Two" normally costs $24.99.
• "Magicka 2" normally costs $14.99.

The value you get from just this month is nearly equal to what you'll pay for an entire year of PlayStation Plus.

If you download and play three games you got for free through PlayStation Plus, the service paid for itself. Anything beyond that is pure bonus value.

But wait! There's more!

If you own a PlayStation Vita or a PlayStation 3, you'll also get free games on those platforms. Some of the games are even "cross-buy," meaning you'll get access to them across multiple PlayStation devices ("Spelunky" is this way - once you own it on one PlayStation console, you own it all PlayStation consoles).

So remember: Before dropping hundreds of dollars on $60 games with your new PlayStation 4 this holiday, snag a $50 annual subscription to PlayStation Plus. You'll thank us - promise.