Sony has announced a significant shift in its PlayStation Plus strategy, focusing exclusively on PlayStation 5 starting in January 2026. This change will see PlayStation 4 games being phased out from the PlayStation Plus Essentials monthly games and the Games Catalog. The announcement came via a PlayStation Blog post that also detailed February 2025's monthly titles.
"As we shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog," Sony stated. This transition will not affect the monthly titles that subscribers have already claimed. However, Games Catalog titles will remain playable until they are removed as part of the regular monthly updates.
Sony emphasized its commitment to enhancing the PlayStation Plus experience, promising to "continue to evolve the experience of PlayStation Plus and optimize the benefits you receive, including exclusive discounts, online multiplayer access, online game save storage, and more." The company expressed enthusiasm about adding new PS5 titles monthly to keep subscribers engaged.
The PlayStation 4, launched in 2013, has been succeeded by the PlayStation 5, released in 2020. Sony noted that "many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles," justifying the move to focus on the newer console.
It remains uncertain whether Sony will relegate PS4 games to the Classics Catalog, which currently features ports and remasters of games from the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 eras. More details on this potential change are expected to be shared closer to the implementation date.
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