Sony will remove PS4 titles from its free PS Plus games program next year
With PS5 approaching its fifth year on sale, Sony is changing the way PlayStation Plus works
🎮 PS Plus Essential subscribers will receive more PS5 games next year
🆓 Sony will stop offering PS4 titles as part of its PS Plus free games
👏 More PS5 games will also be coming to the PS Plus Premium/Extra Games Catalog
🎂 The PlayStation 5 turns five in November, so the move isn’t too surprising
Sony is changing which free PS Plus games it gives away each month, starting next year. From January 2026, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit of the PlayStation Plus program and will only be occasionally offered as PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and as new additions to the Game Catalog.
Sony notes that it may still offer titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after January 2026, and that any PS4 games you’ve already redeemed from PlayStation Plus won’t be affected. You will continue to have access to these games as long as you remain a member.
PS4 games will also remain in the Game Catalog, which is available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers, unless they leave as part of the program’s monthly refresh.
Sony said it will continue to evolve the experience of PlayStation Plus and subscribers should look forward to playable more PS5 titles each month moving forward. The news might upset those who are still happy with their PlayStation 4 console, but with the PS5 approaching its fifth year on sale, it makes sense that Sony would make the shift to focus on its latest system.
As one user wrote on the PlayStation Blog in response to the announcement, “The shift to offering mostly PS5 games makes sense and is exciting, but I hope PlayStation doesn’t remove great PS4-only games from the Game Catalog just because they lack a PS5 version. Many PS4 exclusives and classics still deserve to be available for players who enjoy them. Please keep them in consideration!”
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.