Free PS4 Games On PlayStation Plus Will Be Scaled Back In 2026
Free PS4 games have been a monthly staple of PlayStation Plus since the PS4 was the current console. Even now, more than four years into the PS5’s lifecycle, PS4 games as part of the free PlayStation Plus monthly offerings are still around. However, that isn’t going to be the case forever. Sony today officially announced that it would be scaling back the amount of PS4 titles that will be added as free monthly offerings.
It won’t be making this change immediately, but PS5 owners will want to be aware of the shift, especially those who may have a long list of PS4 games they never got to try and were hoping to scoop up free of charge. Even more so for people who still only have a PS4. As of right now, every month includes at least one free PS4 game. Sometimes two.
Free PS4 games in PlayStation Plus will scale back starting in January 2026
The monthly free PS4 games will go away completely someday. That’s inevitable and every PS4 and PS5 owner likely knows that deep down. That said, Sony won’t be scaling back on these games until January 2026. So there’s still almost an entire year of free PS4 games to look forward to. After that date, Sony says it will be changing things up to focus more on offering PS5 games for the majority of free monthly games.
It also says it “may occasionally” add PS4 games after that date. Which suggests that they could be few and far between. This should be understandable, given that we’re just about halfway through the PS5‘s lifecycle. The good news is that any PS4 games you’ve claimed will remain playable. Sony isn’t going to take these away, or at least there’s currently no plan to do so. The company could always change its mind, but that doesn’t seem likely.
You will still need to have an active PlayStation Plus membership to access any PS4 games you have claimed, of course. It’s also worth noting that any PS4 games that are in the PlayStation Plus catalog will continue to be available after January 2026 as well. Once they leave the catalog, however, you’ll need to purchase the game.
Sony also announced the free games for February
In a PlayStation Blog post on January 29, Sony revealed the upcoming monthly PlayStation Plus games for February. New games for members of Sony’s subscription service on PlayStation always show up on the first Tuesday of the month. That will end up being next week, since it’ll be February 3.
For next month’s free offerings, Sony is adding Payday 3 for PS5, and then High On Life and Pac-Man World Re-Pac will be available on both PS4 and PS5. With these games coming on February 3, there are only a few days left to claim the January titles. These include Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. Keep in mind you won’t need to install these games, you just need to claim them by adding them to your library. Then you can install them at any time while your membership is active.
