Sony could be starting 2026 with a bang as it announces the first batch of free PlayStation games for the year.
But January 2026 will see a major shake-up to the status quo.
As with usual months, three games will be added to the PS Plus essential service, but PlayStation 4 games will no longer be made available. Instead, it will be PS5 only from here on out.
A PlayStation spokesperson said: “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 catalogue benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the monthly games and game catalogue benefit starting January 2026.”
The three essential PS Plus games for January 2026 will be announced on Wednesday, December 31 – here are some of the games we predict to feature:
Deliver Us The Moon
A launch title for the PS5, many players did not get their hands on it when the console launched back in 2020 – thanks to most of the consoles being scalped upon release. This would be the perfect time to reintroduce players to this adventure puzzle game, which received raving reviews from fans.
Button City
Released in 2021, this blocky, pastel adventure game features arcade games, puzzles and more in a diorama world inspired by 90s nostalgia. Developed by Subliminal, it’s exactly the sort of PS5-exclusive indie game you would expect to see on PS Plus.
Forspoken
Having recently left the PS Plus extra and premium subscriptions, Forspoken is a fantasy RPG that could be added to the essential subscription tier instead. A word of warning for those on higher sub tiers – sometimes adding PS Plus essential games to your library wipes your previous save progress, so it might we worth making a cloud save, just in case.