Reaction: PS Plus Essential Deserves Much More Credit for Its Free PS5, PS4 Games in 2025 1Image: Push Square

Back when Sony released two higher priced tiers of PS Plus in 2022, many worried that the quality of PS Plus Essential would plummet.

While the uptake of PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium has been positive, occupying more than 38% of PlayStation’s total paying members overall, the platform holder’s basic tier has continued course.

Sure, the subscription’s main selling point has always been its promise of online play and cloud saves, but it also includes three “free” titles for members every month. And these games, in our opinion, have been very good in 2025.

The organisation announced August’s lineup earlier this week, confirming the highly acclaimed South Korean Soulslike title Lies of P will be included for all members at no extra cost. This follows a month where Diablo 4 was the flagship game.

Reaction: PS Plus Essential Deserves Much More Credit for Its Free PS5, PS4 Games in 2025 2

As of 5th August, the manufacturer will have given away 25 games in 2025 to active subscribers, worth over $1,000 if you bought them all at MSRP today.

That list includes:

While there are undoubtedly some stinkers among them, we’ve been impressed by the inclusion of some major names.

Reaction: PS Plus Essential Deserves Much More Credit for Its Free PS5, PS4 Games in 2025 4

For example, there may be context behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s inclusion in March 2025, but coming just six months after the full retail release, this was a huge addition.

Yes, the game may have underperformed relative to publisher EA’s expectations, but putting it straight into PS Plus Essential showed that Sony is still treating its base level subscription with utmost importance. This game easily could have launched into PS Plus Extra first.

We’d make similar arguments for the recent additions of Diablo 4 and Lies of P, although the latter did admittedly launch as part of Xbox Game Pass initially.

Of course, it’s worth remembering that an annual PS Plus Essential subscription costs a fraction of the price of Microsoft’s service – it’s $79.99 annually, which is roughly the same as one AAA title today.

Reaction: PS Plus Essential Deserves Much More Credit for Its Free PS5, PS4 Games in 2025 3

It’s not all about the big games either. Out of the hundreds of indies releasing every week, Sony chose to spotlight Balatro in PS Plus Essential, a Game of the Year candidate and a title that clearly still has strong sales potential all on its own.

Sure, there have been some damp squibs, and certainly no one’s arguing that the selection has been faultless. But overall, when you consider the cost of the service, it’s been a good year for PS Plus Essential.

The reality is that, with many merely wanting access to online multiplayer, Sony could phone this aspect of its service in. The fact that in 2025 – with its rival waving the white flag and its console already well on the way to 100 million units – it’s assembling one of the strongest selections ever deserves praise.

Yes, PS Plus Essential has increased in price around the world, so there’s pressure on the platform holder to keep its value offering high. But credit where credit’s due, it’s fulfilling its assignment right now.

How do you feel about PS Plus Essential in 2025? Has Sony continued to deliver value with its base subscription, or do you no longer feel it’s worth the cash? Let us know in the comments section below.

What’s your favourite PS Plus Essential game in 2025 so far?

Alone in the Dark (PS5)
ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5)
Balatro (PS5, PS4)
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5, PS4)
DayZ (PS4)
Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PS5, PS4)
Diablo 4 (PS5, PS4)
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (PS4)
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5)
High on Life (PS5, PS4)
Jusant (PS5)
Lies of P (PS5, PS4)
My Hero One’s Justice 2 (PS4)
NBA 2K25 (PS5, PS4)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered (PS4)
Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5, PS4)
PAYDAY 3 (PS5)
RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5)
Sonic Colors Ultimate (PS4)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (PS5, PS4)
The King of Fighters XV (PS5, PS4)
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (PS5, PS4)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (PS5, PS4)
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5, PS4)

What’s your favourite PS Plus Essential game in 2025 so far? (425 votes)

  1. Alone in the Dark (PS5)4%
  2. ARK: Survival Ascended (PS5)  0.7%
  3. Balatro (PS5, PS4)12%
  4. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5, PS4)1%
  5. DayZ (PS4)  0.7%
  6. Destiny 2: The Final Shape (PS5, PS4)  0.7%
  7. Diablo 4 (PS5, PS4)9%
  8. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (PS4)  0.7%
  9. Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5)11%
  10. High on Life (PS5, PS4)5%
  11. Jusant (PS5)2%
  12. Lies of P (PS5, PS4)22%
  13. My Hero One’s Justice 2 (PS4)  0%
  14. NBA 2K25 (PS5, PS4)1%
  15. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered (PS4)1%
  16. Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5, PS4)1%
  17. PAYDAY 3 (PS5)  0%
  18. RoboCop: Rogue City (PS5)15%
  19. Sonic Colors Ultimate (PS4)  0.7%
  20. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (PS5)1%
  21. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection (PS5, PS4)3%
  22. The King of Fighters XV (PS5, PS4)  0.9%
  23. The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (PS5, PS4)3%
  24. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (PS5, PS4)  0.7%
  25. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5, PS4)2%
See Also

Sammy Barker

As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.