While it goes on extended streaks that are nigh unpredictable, Sony sometimes settles down into established patterns for PS Plus. For example, in the days before it was a three-tier system and gave away two games every month, there was an established routine of “1 Big Game, 1 Small Game.” The former always had some degree of wide, mainstream appeal to it, while the second appealed to a specific niche. And while there have been plenty of PS Plus patterns throughout its history, its latest pattern is somewhat deflating.
As subscribers know, there are three tiers to PS Plus. The free games made available every month are part of the Essential tier, so-called because it is required to play paid online games (but not free-to-play games like Fortnite). The next step up is PS Plus Extra, which gives players an extensive catalog of games to play. Finally, PS Plus Premium contains an additional catalog of classic games, among other benefits. PS Plus Premium has always been the black sheep of tiers because Sony hardly supports it as much as you’d expect of the highest-priced tier, but that doesn’t mean its game selection isn’t done to push players to a higher service.
In short, the general quality and appeal of PS Plus Essential games have been down, at the very least, since January. Both the PS Plus Extra January and February games essentially had to redeem the month. With the confirmation of the PS Plus free games for March 2026, it is immediately clear that March is replicating this trend from January and February.
Why the PS Plus Free Game for January, February, and March 2026 Have Been “Bad”
In most cases, it’s worth highlighting that these games are not necessarily “bad games” in and of themselves, but they do not carry among them enough appeal to say, yes, PS Plus Essential is well worth the price.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
EasyMediumHard
The biggest issue with this line-up is a lack of wide appeal. PS Plus’ free games selection can and should serve specific niches, like sports games or racing games, but the constant emphasis on more niche and less popular games/genres means that the tier loses some of its stardom. Core Keeper is a survival game—a generally popular genre—so it stands out. Monster Hunter Rise does as well, given the upcoming release of Monster Hunter Stories 3 (and the release of its predecessors on PS Plus Extra). Ultros is one of those games that might break out of its niche, given that Metroidvania games are popular, but there are plenty of those. But many others firmly rest in their niche.
PGA Tour 2K25 and Undisputed are both sports games, a genre whose fans often pick these games up on day one and lack an appeal to many gamers. Of course, sports are very popular, sports games are best-sellers, but sports games do not pair well with PS Plus. Someone picking up Need for Speed Unbound on PS Plus is probably not mind-blown to check out a racing game. Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed speaks to Disney fans or families, but not so much to others. Similar logic can be applied to all these PS Plus games, including the Elder Scrolls MMO, cutesy creature collector Slime Rancher 2, Ace Combat 7, and even Subnautica: Below Zero.
The overall vibe is pretty simple: some games are good or even great, but not all of them really gel with vast reaches of the PS Plus subscription service. Sure, it’s never possible to make everyone happy, but only lapsed Sports game fans really eat well here. Because of this, whether someone plays online or not matters little; the Essential tier just loses a little bit of its glamor with every weaker month.
PS Plus Extra Serves the Main Course After Lackluster Appetizers
For every inconvenience in gaming, there is a convenience that can “fix” it. Microtransactions are by design convenient solutions to otherwise inconvenient options (in-game, sales-wise, or FOMO-wise). In the case of PS Plus, the lacking Essential tier is probably okay by Sony and acceptable by subscribers because it’s included with PS Plus Extra, the consistently good tier. The push-and-pull here could be argued in any number of ways, but if PS Plus Extra is the main meal, then PS Plus Essential should at least be appetizers. PS Plus Premium is just leftovers in this metaphor, with the already-confirmed PS Plus Premium game for March 2026 getting roasted as soon as it was revealed.
PS Plus free games for the past few months, as appetizers, are not the best options on the menu; they’re bland mozzarella sticks. Not the best kind you order every time at a restaurant, but the kind you order because mozzarella sticks are good in general, just the restaurant’s offering is bland in comparison. And after these appetizers, you get your full meal. Bad mozzarella sticks do not hurt a good meal, but they don’t elevate the experience like good ones. At a glance, it’s clear how much better the PS Plus Extra games are than the PS Plus Essential games.
-
PS Plus Extra Games for January 2026
- A Little to the Left
- A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
- Art of Rally
- Darkest Dungeon 2
- Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Resident Evil Village
- The Exit 8
-
PS Plus Extra Games for February 2026
- Echoes of the End: Enhanced Edition
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Monster Hunter Stories
- Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
- Neva
- Rugby 25
- Season: A Letter to the Future
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
- Venba
What’s more is that the strategy doesn’t change, really. There are still niche-appealing games, like Rugby 25 and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, as well as games appealing to new releases like Resident Evil Village (ahead of Resident Evil Requiem) and the Monster Hunter Stories games. But there are strong contenders even within niches. Games like A Little to the Left, Darkest Dungeons 2, The Exit 8, and Neva are absolutely must-plays for any gamer. And then there’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on top of that, games that have the mass appeal that the appetizers of PS Plus Essential completely lack. Fans can fully expect March to serve a great meal after the “meh” appetizers.
