PlayStation Plus is entering a structural shift that marks the end of how the subscription service has operated for more than a decade. Beginning January 2026, the Essential tier of PlayStation Plus will no longer include PlayStation 4 titles in its monthly lineup. The change becomes effective with the announcement of the January games on December 31, closing the door on PS4 support within the service’s most widely used tier.
The decision reflects a longer-term transition that has been unfolding throughout the PlayStation 5 generation. While Sony has continued releasing major cross-generation titles well into the PS5 era, including games such as God of War Ragnarök, the company has increasingly signaled that the balance is shifting toward current-generation hardware. Internal data cited by PlayStation indicates that the majority of active subscribers are now playing on PS5 and primarily redeeming PS5-specific content through the service.
From January 2026 onward, PlayStation Plus Essential will focus exclusively on PS5 games for both its Monthly Games and Game Catalog offerings. For subscribers still using a PS4, this means the regular cadence of new PS4 titles included with Essential will come to an end. While this represents a clear narrowing of support for last-generation users, it does not completely cut PS4 owners off from the ecosystem.
PS4 titles will continue to appear within the PlayStation Plus Extra tier, which remains positioned as a broader catalog-driven option at a higher price point. In addition, PS4 users can still claim PS5 games offered through Essential, even if they do not yet own a PS5. These titles can be added to a subscriber’s library through the PlayStation App or the PlayStation Store website and will remain accessible if and when the user upgrades hardware, provided the subscription remains active.
Sony has not yet disclosed the lineup for the first PS5-only month of PlayStation Plus Essential, and expectations around that announcement remain speculative. What is clear, however, is that this move formalizes a generational cutoff that many players anticipated but hoped would arrive later. For PS5 owners, the change promises a more focused slate of current-generation content. For PS4 players, it reinforces the reality that the platform is entering its final phase of first-party service support.
As the subscription landscape continues to evolve, this update positions PlayStation Plus more squarely alongside the PS5’s lifecycle, signaling fewer compromises between generations and a clearer divide between legacy access and current hardware priorities.
