PS Plus free, extra games for January 2026 Officially Prove that Premium is the Black Sheep of the family

Although PlayStation Plus is a consistently good way to play a lot of games, not all of its levels are the same. There's Essential, which is a must for online gaming, and the 3-4 free games a month it offers help sweeten the deal. Then there's Extra, which joins what used to be PlayStation Now, giving gamers a huge (and ever-growing) pool of games. Finally, there is the premium tier with the most expensive version of the service providing game trials and a catalog of Classics games for PSP, PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4. Unfortunately, this final level of PS Plus has regularly been criticized for not living up to its name, and January only supports that argument.

While not everyone was excited about PS Plus' free games for January (Need for Speed ​​​​Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Core Keeper), at least they managed to offer different experiences that span three genres. In addition, PlayStation Plus Extra has raised the ball with an incredible selection of games, including:

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

However, as January's PS Plus Extra games continue to justify the extra cash it asks for from players, Premium subscribers will only get access this month original Ridge Racer. One old racing game just isn't enough for many players, as if someone isn't using game trials, then the stagnant catalog of Classics is hardly a reason to stay a top tier subscriber. Realistically, PS Plus Premium is the black sheep of the three tiers, as while the others regularly meet or exceed expectations, Premium leaves fans scratching their heads more often than not. That's something that can – and should – change, but it's unlikely to happen if 2025 is anything but.

PS Plus Premium's Drive Down Memory Lane in January 2026 just isn't enough

Image via namco

To be clear, the original Ridge Racer is an iconic video game that holds up surprisingly well with its vibrant look and core gameplay, with mechanics like drifting and actual driving satisfying over 30 years of tweaking the genre. he said that Ridge Racer in terms of content, it feels like a release from the 90s. There isn't much to do in the game as there is only one course on offer, while the PlayStation version that allows it to be mirrored isn't nearly as varied. After a few hours, players complete Time Trials to get a fast “devil” car, and since that's the only real goal to strive for, it's hard to imagine players spending a significant amount of time with it. Ridge Racer.

A simple solution to this problem would be to let Ridge RacerMore information accompanies it this month, as this is a trick Sony has used in the past with properties like FromSoftware Armored Core series. Rage Racer and Rage Racer Revolution both offer more content, which would benefit premium players as they won't see the next catalog addition until February. Instead, Sony expects its most loyal gamers to have something to do Ridge Racer for a whole month, which doesn't seem fair at all. Yes, there are all the other games in the Classics catalog that can be played, but there are huge gaps in that catalog that can be filled every month. Releasing a single premium game in January won't fill those gaps, and it's hard not to feel like the odd one out when Essential and Extra games are peppered at every turn.

Ridge Racer is not a one-off disappointment for PS Plus Premium, but part of a larger pattern

Unfortunately, PS Plus Premium, which only brings one new game to the Classics catalog this month, is nothing new at all. While it's true that the Classics catalog grew rapidly in the months after it was first introduced, regularly receiving 2-3 games with each PS Plus mid-month drop, that hasn't been the case for some time. Looking at the last few months, the disappointing state of PS Plus Premium is clear:

in the last year only one month offered more than 2 PS Plus Premium additions despite the fact that there is a world of opportunity for this service. 6 of the 12 months in 2025 brought just one game to the Classics catalogand now there is a a five-month streak of just one game coming to PlayStation Plus Premium every month. Yes, Premium has additional benefits, but the reality is that most gamers spend a few extra dollars each month to access the PS Plus Premium Classics catalog, which seems like an afterthought to me.

Simply put, Sony needs to up its game here. Several iconic PlayStation franchises are not fully represented through the Classics catalog, with all of them Resistance games, most of them Killzone IP and several titles from Inglorious the series is no longer in service, despite being first-party properties. That's not okay, especially when there's a perfect place to put these important pieces of PlayStation history. The sheer value of the core catalog of games makes the extra tier more premium than the tier that boasts the title, with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Resident Evil Village these are two massive additions to prove it.

Let's hope the widespread criticism of PS Plus Premium doesn't fall on deaf ears, as Sony can and should make this tier a bigger issue over the course of 2026. If January and its only game Ridge Racer However, Premium subscribers could have more of the same.