The first free monthly PlayStation Plus games for paying subscribers in 2026 have been revealed and it’s a sleepy month for PS5 and PS4 players. There are also only three additions for this month, compared to last month’s five.
On December 31, Sony revealed the first batch of PS Plus Essential games coming this year and while they’re decent games, none of the picks make a big splash. These games will be available to add to your PlayStation library permanently beginning on January 6. Once added, you can install them and play them whenever you want as long as you are an active PS Plus Essential, Extra, or Premium subscriber. Here’s the list of games and what platforms they are available on:
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Need For Speed Unbound | PS5
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Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed | PS4, PS5
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Core Keeper | PS4, PS5
Rebrushed is the 2024 remaster of the 2010 platformer from Deus Ex director Warren Spector. Nice for anyone who didn’t play the original or wants an important lesson in game development history. Unbound, meanwhile, is the 25th installment in the Need for Speed series and features a neat cel-shaded art style. The 2022 release is a fun racer but far from the most memorable in the franchise.
Core Keeper is arguably the best pick-up this month. It’s a top-down pixel art crafting sim that marries Minecraft and Stardew Valley. Like those games it continues to receive meaty free updates, with one coming later this month called Void & Voltage. Not the worst month overall, though not as generous as last month’s pre-holiday haul.