Sony distributes 3 free games every month for the PS4 and PS5 with PS Plus. However, this could change in the future. Sony has announced that there will be changes. Because starting in 2026, there will no longer be free PS4 games as part of the service. Sony wants to focus on the PS5. This is not necessarily surprising.
PS Plus is essential for all players on PlayStation if they want to play online. As a nice bonus, there have been 3 free games included with the subscription every month for many years. Among the three games, there is always the option to play one or two titles on the PS4 as well. But that will soon change.
Sony will no longer offer PS4 games with PS Plus
What is changing? Starting in 2026, the offer of PS4 games will no longer be one of the main benefits of the service. Instead, Sony will focus on providing PS5 titles and will eliminate free games for the PS4. This was recently stated by Adam Michel, Director, Game Services – Content at Sony Interactive Entertainment (via videogamechronicle.com):
As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have transitioned to redeeming and accessing PS5 titles through the monthly games and game catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the monthly games and game catalog benefit starting in January 2026.
PS Plus has been officially around since 2010 and dates back to the PS3 era. The PS4 was released 3 years later in 2013. After 15 years of PS Plus and 12 years of PS4, this is likely to represent a significant change for many PS4 owners.
Players suspected at the release of the PS5 that Sony would eventually stop offering PS4 games. A similar significant change was the introduction of the new “PS Plus” model.
How many players are affected? According to Reddit.com, PlayStation had around 100 million active users in the USA in the summer of 2024, of which half (49 million) were on the PlayStation 4. What the official numbers look like in Germany is unknown, but there are likely still some who use their PS4 for gaming here as well.
Not all players have likely switched to a PS5 yet, as many developers continue to offer a version for both PS4 and PS5. All games that you can upgrade for free from PS4 to PS5 version can be found on MeinMMO.
More about PS Plus: Do you want to know which content belongs to which PS Plus subscription and which one suits you best? MeinMMO presents all the options for PS Plus and explains which one is best for you: PS Plus subscription: Essential, Extra or Premium – Which package is right for me?
