Sony has revealed the selection of games that will be made available to subscribers of the PlayStation Plus Essential service in early January 2026. The list includes the racing game Need for Speed Unbound, the platform adventure Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and the survival sandbox Core Keeper. The titles can be redeemed at no additional cost from January 6th.
Players will have until February 2, 2026 to add the games to their digital library. Once redeemed within the deadline, games remain accessible as long as the service subscription is active, ensuring continuous access to content. This month’s selection offers a diversity of genres to suit different player profiles.
The catalog update follows the traditional Sony schedule, occurring on the first Tuesday of each month. With the arrival of new titles, subscribers must hurry to redeem the games offered in December 2025, which will leave the service on January 5th, ending the previous cycle and starting the year’s news.
High speed and style in Need for Speed Unbound
Need for Speed Unbound, developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts, is the highlight for PlayStation 5 owners. The gameplay focuses on a vibrant open world, the city of Lakeshore, where players participate in illegal races, customize their cars with a deep system of aesthetic and performance modifications, and need to outwit a more intelligent and aggressive police force. The single-player campaign challenges drivers to compete in weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, the biggest street tournament in the city, while the multiplayer mode, Lakeshore Online, allows direct competitions against other players in a persistent and dynamic environment.
The renewed magic of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed offers a nostalgic and creative journey, being a faithful remake of the acclaimed platformer originally released for Nintendo Wii. Esta new version, available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, rebuilds the game’s look with high definition graphics, in addition to implementing significant improvements in controls and character movement, modernizing the experience to current standards. Players once again take on the role of Mickey Mouse, who is transported to Wasteland, a dark world inhabited by forgotten characters and attractions from Disney history.
The game’s central mechanic revolves around the magic brush, which allows Mickey to use paint to create elements on the scene or solvent to erase them. Cada’s choice directly impacts the environment, the unfolding of the story and the way other characters react, creating a system of morality that defines the fate of Wasteland. The adventure combines exploration, environmental puzzles and combat, celebrating the lesser-known legacy of Disney in a unique and interactive way.
Exploration and survival in Core Keeper
Core Keeper completes the January selection with a proposed sandbox adventure focused on mining and survival, which can be played both alone and in online cooperative mode for up to eight players. The game transports players to a vast, procedurally generated underground world filled with mysterious creatures, ancient relics, and distinct biomes to explore.
Gameplay encourages collecting resources to build bases, grow crops, fish in underground lakes, and craft a wide range of tools, armor, and weapons. Progress is driven by exploration and defeating gigantic bosses that hold secrets and valuable rewards.
The title’s strong cooperative appeal allows friends to join forces to dig, build and fight together, making exploring the dangerous caves a shared and strategic experience. Compatibility with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ensures that a broad player base can enjoy this survival adventure.
Requirements and redemption period for subscribers
To access the January games, it is essential to have an active subscription to any of the service levels: PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra or Deluxe. Redemption is a simple process, carried out directly through the PlayStation Store on the console.
The games’ availability period is limited, starting on January 6th and ending on February 2nd, 2026. It is essential that users add the titles to their library within this time window.
When adding a game to the library, it becomes permanently associated with the user’s account. Access, however, is subject to maintaining an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
The monthly rollover mechanic means that games from the previous month are removed from the free offering. Portanto, this is the last opportunity to secure the December 2025 titles.
Platforms and technical optimizations
The January selection reflects Sony’s gradual transition to the new generation of consoles. Need for Speed Unbound is an exclusive title for PlayStation 5, taking advantage of the most powerful hardware to deliver graphics in 4K resolution and stable performance at 60 frames per second.
On the other hand, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and Core Keeper are compatible with both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Gender diversity in the selection
The combination of titles offered in January 2026 demonstrates Sony’s commitment to diversifying the PlayStation Plus catalog. The selection ranges from the high-speed action and urban culture of Need for Speed Unbound, to the creative and nostalgic adventure of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, to the cooperative exploration and survival of
Additional service benefits
In addition to monthly games, a PlayStation Plus subscription remains an essential requirement to access most games’ online multiplayer modes. Isso directly applies to Need for Speed Unbound and Core Keeper, whose online experiences are important components of gameplay.
Other perks include access to cloud storage for saving game progress, which allows players to continue their adventures across different consoles. Subscribers also receive exclusive discounts on a variety of games and digital content on PlayStation Store, adding even more value to the service.
