breaking news
Featured Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Topics: PlayStation Plus, Free Games, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony
breaking news
Topics: PlayStation Plus, Free Games, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony
PlayStation Plus has revealed the next batch of free games hitting the Essential tier in the new year.
PlayStation Plus Essential always drops a handful of new free games on the service each month, giving you a little extra bang for your buck.
Well, it’s that time again where Sony has revealed the latest free games hitting PlayStation Plus Essential for the next month. However, there is a small catch.
As we reported earlier this year, PlayStation Plus Essential will no longer feature PS4 games as part of its monthly offerings from January 2026 onwards. That means we’re basically getting PS5 games from now until whenever the PlayStation 6 drops.
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However, Sony has said this won’t include games which have both PS4 and PS5 versions, and the service may also “occasionally offer” PS4 titles as part of the monthly subscription.
“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,” Sony wrote earlier in 2025. “We may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date.”
The free games being offered as part of PlayStation Plus Essential are as follows:
Obviously Need For Speed Unbound is a welcome addition here, given the popularity of the racing game series. However, Core Keeper is a great sandbox game I'd recommend. And for the family gamers subscribed to PlayStation Plus, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed should provide fun entertainment as we move into January.
The latter two both have PS4 versions too, so while PS5 is a core focus of Sony's PlayStation Plus strategy, last-gen gamers can still get their money's worth here.
To claim these games, simply log onto your PlayStation console and redeem them from the PlayStation Plus menu, where you’ll find them under “Monthly Games”.
All of these titles will be available to access in the PlayStation Plus Essential library from 6 January 2026 and will last until 2 February.
Once you’ve claimed and added them to your account, they’ll remain accessible for as long as you are an active subscriber.
If you've not yet redeemed December's games either, you can still claim Lego Horizon Adventures, Killing Floor 3, The Outlast Trials, Synduality Echo of Ada and Neon White until 5 January, at which point they'll be removed from PlayStation Plus Essential.