The company is making a big change to its subscription service, PlayStation Plus, as it begins to shift much of its focus from the PS4 to the PS5. Starting in January 2026, PS4 games will no longer be a regular fixture in the monthly PS Plus lists, with Sony instead focusing mainly on PS5 titles, occasionally throwing in some PS4 games.
PS Plus Intention
This makes for a strategy call as it realigns services in relation to the evolution in the gaming landscape and wider adoption of the PS5 console. “With our move to PS5, PS4 titles will no longer be a key benefit and will only be included in PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog from time to time starting in January 2026,” Sony said.
For subscribers who have claimed PS4 games via PS Plus earlier, there’s nothing to get worried about as those titles can still be played, provided the subscription is active. Sony explains, “PS4 games that players have already redeemed from PS Plus are not affected, provided players stay subscribed to PlayStation Plus.”
All existing PS4 titles in the Game Catalog will remain in the catalog and rotate regularly when the catalog refreshes every month. Sony says it will “continue to evolve the PS Plus service” to “optimize the benefits you receive over time.”
As it has been five years since the PS5 launched in 2020, the generational leap from PS4 has been rather gradual, with many games still made across generations. More and more game developers and companies are starting to shift their attention to newer consoles. This trend also goes hand in hand with the bigger trend in the industry.
High-profile titles like “Call of Duty” and “NBA 2K” have kept this cross-generation support. Let’s not forget that it hasn’t always paid off commercially, as borne out by the flagging performance of “NBA 2K’s” Gen 8 versions. The move of Sony to reduce PS4 benefits on PlayStation Plus also speaks volumes about the focus on PS5.
But a lot of gamers just haven’t made the jump because there simply haven’t been any must-have games to justify it. The general feeling is that, yes, new hardware still has value, but the focus cannot be centered around high-end graphics alone and reflects the popularity of games that run on all sorts of different hardware, from “Fortnite” to “Roblox.”
Meanwhile, PS Plus subscribers will have a new set of free games to get excited over this coming February 2025. On February 4, “Payday 3,” “High on Life,” and “Pac-Man World: Re-Pac” will be theirs for download. While “Payday 3” is PS5-only, the other two games are playable on the console and PS4.
With changes in the landscape of gaming, Sony changes its approach to PS Plus in order to adapt to changes in today’s game scene and to users’ needs and preferences. In this context, subscribers can be informed about ongoing updates and information for the same.
