As an incredible year for video games draws to a close, a promising 2026 approaches. And while upcoming titles such as Grand Theft Auto 6 and Marvel's Wolverine is the topic of conversation, players can look towards services such as PlayStation Plus to provide a consistent source of games that will make the wait for new releases just that little bit easier. Looking at the last three years of game drops in January, it seems that PS Plus subscribers can expect to see some solid deals in a few weeks.
January 2023 brought the amazing PS Plus Essential series Jedi: Fallen Order, Fallout 76and Axiom Verge 2while 2024 offered a solid trio in Plague Tale: Requiem, Wicked Westand No one saves the world. Although the headline game in January 2025 may have been the split Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leagueit came to the service's content complete, as Deathstroke had been added a month earlier. Its companion game of being so loved also helped, as Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe made for a varied amount of free bits. If Sony wants to keep its service appealing and impress those who upped their subscriptions over the holidays, the games listed below would be a brilliant way to do so.
PS Plus Free Games for January 2026 Wish List — Red Dead Redemption 2
Read Game Rant's review of Red Dead Redemption 2
Although PS Plus will begin phasing out PS4 titles in January 2026, as the focus shifts to free PS5 games very soon, the first month of the year could be a last hurray for legacy games. Plus, if rumors are to be believed and there really is a proper next-gen update for that Red Dead Redemption 2 underway, now would be an ideal time to get the Rockstar classic on the PS Plus Essential Tier. With the original Red Dead Redemption joins PS Plus Extra in December, and GTA 5The PS Plus release showing that Sony is no stranger to dubbing Rockstar projects, Red Dead Redemption 2 being made available to key subscribers would feel like a logical progression. And whether gamers are finally experiencing Arthur Morgan's titular redemption for the first time, or revisiting Rockstar's version of the Wild West for a trip down memory lane, this title would be a worthy headliner for the first Essential series in 2026.
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Explore an incredibly detailed open world on foot or on horseback, complete with third-person shooter mechanics.
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Experience a masterful story filled with memorable characters, a powerful soundtrack and emotional moments that hit hard.
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Enjoy an entertaining multiplayer experience via Red Dead Onlinewhich is pretty deep even though it doesn't get nearly as much support as GTA online.
- Released
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26 October 2018
- ESRB
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M for mature: blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, drugs and alcohol
PS Plus Free Games for January 2026 Wish List – Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Check out Kingdom Come: Deliverance on Open Critic
With Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 on the heels of some major Game Awards nominations, including Game of the Year, many may be interested in learning Henry's story. KCD2 has a four-hour trial available to Premium subscribers, but jumping into the sequel isn't really advisable for those who want to know the full story. With the first game leaving PS Plus Extra way back in May 2023, enough time has passed to bring it back to the service, this time as an Essential game that drives fans towards its famous follow-up. Although it is a little dated visually compared to the sequel, its many positives outweigh this negative aspect.
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Enjoy a unique focus on realism, with difficult sword fights, challenging survival mechanics and a slow rise from peasant to knight.
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Explore an immersive bohemian world that truly achieves its goal of historical accuracy.
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Experience the origins of Henry of Skalitz and his companions, characters that players have fallen in love with.
- Released
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February 13, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Adults 17+ due to blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of alcohol
- Developer
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Warhorse Studios
PS Plus Free Games for January 2026 Wish List — The Alters
Read Game Rant's review of The Alters
PlayStation Plus often offers two major AAA releases and one minor, and it's hard to think of a better choice for the latter category than The Alters. Another Game Awards nominee, this unique title is currently discounted on both Steam and the PlayStation Store – something that usually happens before titles make it to a subscription service. While The AltersThe 20-hour experience is a far cry from the dozens of hours players would spend with the other two titles, which would make it the perfect companion, as it would be a refreshing palette cleanser after going through some massive games. PS Plus thrives on short games, as seen with some of the additions to PS Plus Free Games for December 2025. The Alters will also keep players entertained from start to finish, with the many variations of protagonist Jan Dolski sure to resonate with players and inspire repeat playthroughs.
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Experience a memorable story full of difficult choices and mature dialogue.
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Enjoy stressful yet satisfying management gameplay where clone needs and resources must be carefully juggled.
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Explore a memorable sci-fi world that will keep players coming back for more.
- Released
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June 13, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence
January 2026 wish list for PS Plus Extra and Premium
- Psychonauts — While its Game of the Year-nominated sequel was a PS Plus Essential game in September, the platform classic that preceded it is currently unavailable in the Classics Catalog. That should change, because the crazy world and characters that Raz interacts with deserve to be appreciated by as many players as possible.
- InFamous 1 and 2 — Considering how long PlayStation Plus and Extra have been around, it feels criminal that Cole MacGrath's story remains unavailable. With seemingly no hope of remasters or sequels on the horizon, fans of these edgy, interesting superhero stories are best off joining PS Plus.
- Resistance Trilogy — While the first two Resistance games were available on PS Plus for a while, they suddenly left the game catalog in mid-2025. This had some fans hopeful Resistance remaster that utilizes the DualSense controller, but kind of like Notoriousthis feels like a dream. Hopefully these memorable FPS games will return to the service soon and bring the satisfying third along for the ride.
- Kill zone Trilogy — Not only does the classic catalog give PlayStation a chance to do better through humanity's war against the Chimera, but the Helghast conflict also deserves more love. Somehow, the PSP game Killzone: Liberation is on the service, but the original — and more importantly, its two spectacular sequels — are nowhere to be found. Before Guerrilla began his work on Horizon series, these underrated FPS games shined, and letting newer fans enjoy some of the studio's older work would be worthwhile.
- InFamous: Second Son — While Notorious getting some attention in the Classics Catalog is more pressing, so why not go all in and bring it Second Son to the game directory? It has come and gone several times, and currently only First light—a short spin-off focused on one Second Son character – is available. This is really strange, the assai character's story feels incomplete without the wonderful game full of bold powers that preceded it.
- Dead Space — While EA Motive's brilliant remake of the 2008 horror classic was an Essential PlayStation Plus title back in 2024, a significant amount of time will have passed between then and January 2026. Anyone who missed out on the game should get a second chance to grab it via the games catalog, as everyone should be able to feel the awesome power and fear of Plasma C. Regenerator.
- Fury — This brilliant indie from Cairn developer The Game Breakers was free for PS Plus almost a decade ago, meaning it's long overdue for a second introduction on the platform. A bold mix of bullet hell and action combat, the game is essentially a challenging boss rush with a brilliant art style. It also received a PS5 upgrade a few years ago with a DLC and several improvements, ensuring that a re-release via the games catalog would be justified.
- Nex machine — A completely different ball-hell experience from Housemarque, the developer of Return and exclusive to the upcoming PS5 Saros. Before the studio made big budget titles, it was the king of small-scale twin-stick shooters, med Nex machine to be a swan song for this era of Housemarque gaming. Brilliant music and responsive controls combine to make this shmup a forgotten gem that the game catalog can shed new light on.
