PS Plus Free, Extra Games for January 2026 Officially Prove Premium is the Black Sheep of the Family

PlayStation Plus is generally a great way to access many games, but the different subscription levels vary in value. The Essential tier is essential for online gaming and includes a few free games each month. Extra adds a large library of games, previously offered through PlayStation Now, that’s constantly updated. Premium is the most expensive option, offering game trials and a collection of classic games from older PlayStation consoles. However, the Premium tier often receives criticism for not providing enough value, and recent offerings in January haven’t changed that perception.

Okay, so the free PS Plus games for January – Need for Speed Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, and Core Keeper – didn’t exactly blow everyone away, but I gotta admit, they at least tried to give us a little variety with different types of gameplay. But the real good stuff this month is on PlayStation Plus Extra – they’ve added a ton of awesome games, and I’m really excited to check them all out!

• Resident Evil Village (PS5 | PS4)
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS5 | PS4)
• Expeditions: A MudRunner Game(PS5 | PS4)
• A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead (PS5)
• The Exit 8 (PS5 | PS4)
• Art of Rally (PS5 | PS4)

While the PS Plus Extra tier continues to offer good value for its price, the Premium tier’s January offering is limited to the original Ridge Racer. Many subscribers feel that one older game isn’t enough to justify the higher cost, especially since the library of classic games doesn’t get updated often. Essentially, PS Plus Premium isn’t performing as well as the other two tiers – Extra and Essential – which consistently meet or exceed expectations. Premium often leaves players disappointed, and based on current trends, that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

PS Plus Premium’s Drive Down Memory Lane in January 2026 Just Isn’t Enough

Image via namco

The original Ridge Racer remains a classic game, and it’s impressive how well it still plays. Drifting and driving feel good, even compared to modern racing games. However, the game definitely feels like it’s from the 1990s in terms of content. There isn’t much to do – you only race on one course, and even being able to mirror it doesn’t add enough variety. Once you’ve completed the Time Trials to unlock the fast “Devil” car, that’s pretty much it, making it unlikely players will keep coming back for a long time.

A good way to address this issue would have been to release sequels to Ridge Racer alongside the original game, something Sony has done before with series like Armored Core. Both Rage Racer and Rage Racer Revolution offer additional content, which would have been great for Premium subscribers, especially since they won’t be getting any new games until February. Instead, Sony is asking its most dedicated players to play Ridge Racer for a whole month, which feels a bit unfair. While the Classics catalog does have other games, there are still significant gaps that could be filled each month. Adding only one Premium game in January doesn’t address these gaps, and it’s hard not to feel shortchanged when the Essential and Extra tiers receive so many new games.

Ridge Racer Isn’t a One-Off Letdown for PS Plus Premium, But Part of a Larger Pattern

Okay, so I’m a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, and honestly, getting just one new ‘Classics’ game this month is kinda becoming the norm. When this service first launched, they were adding a bunch of retro titles with each update – usually two or three! But lately? Not so much. If you look back over the past few months, it’s pretty clear that the Classics catalog isn’t getting the love it used to.

Over the past year, PlayStation Plus Premium has only had one month with more than two new game additions, despite the potential to offer much more. In 2024, six out of twelve months only saw one game added to the Classics catalog, and currently, the service is on a five-month streak of adding just one game each month. While Premium does offer other perks, many subscribers seem to primarily pay extra for access to the Classics catalog, which currently feels neglected.

Sony really needs to improve its offerings. Many popular PlayStation games, like the entire Resistance series, most of the Killzone games, and several Infamous titles, are missing from the Classics Catalog, even though Sony owns them. This is a problem, especially since these games deserve to be preserved and easily accessible. The regular Game Catalog offers so much value that the Extra tier actually feels more high-quality, and recent additions like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Resident Evil Village clearly demonstrate that.

Sony really needs to listen to the feedback about PS Plus Premium and improve it, especially heading into 2026. The recent launch in January, with only one new game – Ridge Racer – suggests things might not change much for Premium members.

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2026-01-16 17:36