PlayStation Plus as We Know it is Coming To An End

Big changes are coming to PlayStation Plus in January, and it’s great news for PlayStation 5 owners (and terrible news for PlayStation 4 owners).

Last night during Sony’s State of Play livestream, we were treated to one of the strongest PlayStation Plus lineups in months.

Alan Wake II, Cocoon, The Last of Us Part II, Tekken 3, Soul Calibur 3, Tomb Raider Anniversary– all bangers, and all set to land on PlayStation Plus from October onwards.

However, as we transition into October, we steadily move closer to the deadline for PS Plus that Sony set back in January this year, and I highly doubt that PlayStation 4 owners are going to be thrilled with the changes coming their way.

As detailed in an article by Game Rant’s Dalton Cooper, Sony announced in an article on the PlayStation Blog that PlayStation Plus will be moving towards becoming a more PlayStation 5-focused service next year, starting in January.

“As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit starting January 2026”, reads the statement on Sony’s official blog.

“As we shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog starting January 2026. We may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date.”

Personally, I’m kind of surprised that Sony held off on making this change for as long as they have.

By the time November rolls around, the PlayStation 5 will be five years old. Likewise, the PlayStation 4 will officially turn twelve in the same month.

Considering that Sony stopped offering PlayStation 3 titles through PlayStation Plus Essential in March 2019, which is less than four years after the PS4 launched, this implies to me that people have shifted over to upgrading to the PlayStation 5 at a somewhat slower rate.

Perhaps, considering the ever-ballooning cost of hardware, this shouldn’t be as surprising, but it’s doubtlessly going to upset the thousands of PS4 owners who have yet to make the transition to current-gen hardware.

On the plus side, PlayStation 5 owners can expect a more PS5-focused catalogue once 2026 rolls around. And hey, if you are looking to upgrade from your PlayStation 4, at least you’ll be able to get a PS5 on the cheap now!

Oh, wait. Nevermind. I just remembered that it’s now more expensive to buy a PS5 than it was at launch.