PS Plus kicked off the new year stronger than it ended December. The selection of free games for January 2022 include Deep Rock Galactic (PS5/PS4), Persona 5 Strikers (PS4), and Dirt 5 (PS5/PS4), and PS Plus subscribers have been falling in love with Deep Rock Galactic. Its player base has expanded exponentially, a benefit of coming to the service.
Indeed, PS Plus is often a boon for many games, and a strong January is a good sign for things to come. However, the question remains: what’s next for PS Plus? While it’s impossible to predict the future, there are some easy ways to manage expectations.
PS Plus Free Games for 2022
In terms of month after month, it seems PS Plus has mostly “settled down.” Around the PS5’s release, there were big games, big PS5 releases, and more added to the PS Plus service. As time passed on, it settled into its three games per month, and fans should expect that to dominate most of the year. Special circumstances may see additional games in a month or two, but it’s doubtful to be any bigger than it was then.
Of course, quantity doesn’t equal quality. The sheer value of PS Plus and the price tag of the games it gives away cannot go understated; fans should expect to save a lot of money if they play PS Plus games. Now, what they are—well, there’s no predicting that this far out. But as more PS5 native versions of games launch this year, fans can continue to expect day one PS5 releases on PS Plus. This was the case for Deep Rock Galactic, and several other games last year.
Sony will also continue to announce free games on the last Wednesday of the month that comes before the first Tuesday of the month they release. What this means is that fans can continue to expect predictions based on games releasing on the first Tuesday of the coming month. This prediction method is somewhat accurate: Hell Let Loose, for example, was accurately predicted. The big catch is that sometimes these new games won’t announce their release date until PS Plus does.
Shifting PS Plus Patterns: PS5, Variety, and More
Announcements, quality, and quantity may remain consistent throughout the year, but there are key elements that are always up to change. PS Plus has always followed a pattern of sorts, and those patterns often last for several months. This was true of 2020 and 2021, and it’ll likely remain true in 2022. Thus, while it remains to be seen, the PS Plus Free Games for January 2022 may have set off a new pattern: two PS5 games.
Both Deep Rock Galactic and Dirt 5 had PS5 versions release this month, which is the first time two core games on the service were PS5. More and more games will likely get PS5 releases this year, giving Sony enough ammunition to continue this "two PS5 games on PS Plus" trend through the new year.
It could be a one-off, as one month doesn’t signify a pattern, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see two PS5 games in February. Either way, next month may either change directions or confirm January’s.
The big thing fans should expect month after month is variety, which has always been PS Plus’ strength. Offering different genres allows PS Plus to make sure there’s a little something for everyone, and if that’s the case, then PS Plus subscribers are happy.
Potential PS Plus Changes With Spartacus?
The big change fans should expect this year, among maybe another surprise or two, is the launch of Spartacus. Reportedly, Sony is working on a competitor to Game Pass that folds PS Plus and PS Now together, removing the branding of the latter. This is said to be broken down into three tiers, with each costing more than the last:
- Tier 1: The benefits of PS Plus and online multiplayer
- Tier 2: Streaming via PS Now, plus tier 1 benefits.
- Tier 3: Access to classic games from the PS1, PS2, and PS3 gens, as well as extended demos, plus tier 1 and tier 2 benefits.
Backcompat would definitely be a big deal, but it remains to be seen if the library is expansive enough to truly compete with Game Pass. Nonetheless, every day, Spartacus seems more like a reality. A recent Sony patent related to backward compatibility was found online, and just today, PS3 games began cropping up on the PS5 store. This would also suggest that Spartacus may be released sometime early this year, but fans shouldn't hold their breath.
Still, delivering quality games, following strong patterns of success, and giving it a competitive edge with backcompat games (and maybe more?) spells out PS Plus’ immediate future. Beyond that, it remains to be seen, but PS Plus is one of Sony’s best weapons. Fans should expect it to fire on all cylinders as long as it can maintain that momentum, as the PS5/XSX console generation marches onward.
PS Plus subscribers typically get a handful of free games every month.
