While the PlayStation 5 has just entered its sixth year of availability, it lacks the amount of true exclusives that its predecessor offered at this point in its own lifespan. Partly blaming covid's derailment of development speeds and partly blaming PlayStation's failed live service agenda, the lack of genuine PS5 exclusives has led to PlayStation Plus relies on older PS4 games to fill its monthly supplements. However, this was set to change in January 2026, as Sony had said that PS Plus would stop offering PS4 games as a “key benefit” of its service in the new year. However, that hasn't happened yet, and there's really no telling when the shoe will drop.
Gamers have been curious about what this shift would mean for PS Plus going forward. Will the service offer more proper PS5 games to fill the gaps, or simply offer fewer titles each month, like when PS Plus retires monthly PS3 games? PS4 players who have not yet moved on to PS5 have been dreading this planned shift, as it means they would have no monthly games from PS Plus to look forward to. But for some reason, February 2026 will be the second month in a row that Sony doesn't stick to its word on this change, as more PS4 game releases have been confirmed.
February 2024's PS Plus Essential games are as PS4-focused as ever
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undisputed (PS5)
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Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4)
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Ultros (PS4, PS5)
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Subnautica: Below Zero (PS4, PS5)
Except the boxing game Uncontestedwhich is only available to PS5 users, the February 2026 PS Plus lineup leans heavily towards games from the PS4 era. Subnautica: Below Zero will be the main game for most players, and it will have current and last-gen versions available for download. The same goes for the colorful, cosmic metroidvania Ultrosewhile Ace Combat 7 stands out because it's a native PS4 game with no current-gen version in the name. Sure, it can be added to piggyback off the hype for the upcoming Ace Combat 8: Wings of Thevebut a current addition doesn't distract from the fact that a pure PS4 game goes directly against Sony's supposed 2026 focus.
It's worth noting that February continues a pattern rather than being a one-off return to form, as the January 2026 PS Plus Essential games were a similar case. Need for Speed Hot Pursuits remaster was another native PS4 title from 2020, much like it Ace Combat 7 situation, while Stanley Parable made PS4 and PS5 ports available to PS Plus subscribers. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was the PS5 freebie offered for January. All of that said, so far PS Plus has been business as usual in 2026, offering a dedicated PS5 game and then some PS4 games alongside it.
PS4 fans can celebrate, but they shouldn't get too comfortable
Obviously, this is great news for those who haven't yet moved on to the PS5, as they can make sure to download the January Essentials before they're gone and then look forward to some more free PS4 games in early February. Still, while these extra months of PS4 support are an unexpected gift from Sony, there's no telling when the end of an era for PS Plus will finally begin. Perhaps March will be when the change happens, with Sony deliberately turning players away in January and February, as opposed to taking a cold turkey approach and canceling PS4 games the second the new year began. This is purely speculation though, as there's really no telling why Sony hasn't kept its word yet or when the changes will happen.
Although native PS4 games and cross-generational PS4 versions of games will stop being offered, PS Plus Extra and Premium will continue to provide access to a wide range of games from older consoles.
Whenever Sony finally follows through on phasing out PS4 games from its subscription service, it will be interesting to see what the Essential tier looks like. PS Plus has consistently offered 3-4 titles each month for Essential subscribers, and that seems unlikely to change even after this planned shift. Three game months could become even more common, with built-in PS4 releases such as Ace Combat 7 become a thing of the past, but there's also room for this shift to introduce more current-gen-only games. This may make it a “positive” in the eyes of PS5 owners, although those who are comfortable sticking with their PS4s are negatively affected. But for now, PS Plus has yet to follow through on its warning that PS4 games are no longer a “key benefit” of the service, with January and February's PS Plus deals just what gamers have grown to expect.
