Sony has made a change to how PlayStation Plus games are distributed in the US, UK, and Japan, but the good news is that it might be temporary. PlayStation Plus has gone through some dramatic changes over the years, with perhaps the biggest one coming when the service was effectively combined with PlayStation Now, ultimately splitting its offerings between three distinct tiers.
PlayStation Plus Essential is the base version of PS Plus and includes online multiplayer access as well as a selection of free games every month. The next step up from that is the Extra tier, which gives subscribers access to a rotating library of PS4 and PS5 games. And then finally there is the PS Plus Premium tier, which includes everything that's in the previous tiers plus access to a selection of classic games from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP libraries.
Sony is Making a Change to How it Adds PS Plus Games
Now PS Plus is potentially going through another change, starting with the new Extra and Premium games for June 2026. Sony is experimenting with how it releases PlayStations Plus Extra and Premium games, so instead of all the new games for June 2026 all being added on June 16, they will instead be spread out. Regions outside the US, UK, and Japan will be getting the games all at once like normal, so it seems to be an arbitrary change. All it means is that PlayStation Plus subscribers are effectively going to have to wait longer to play some of the new games, and so it's unlikely to be well-received.
Current and Upcoming PS Plus Extra and Premium Games
Image via Warhorse Studios
Image via Pearl Abyss
Image via 505 Games
- Sonic x Shadow Generations - Available Now
- Final Fantasy 16 - June 16
- Gitaroo Man (Premium) - June 16
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance - June 23
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure - June 23
- Black Desert - June 30
- Blades of Fire - June 30
- Farming Simulator 25 - June 30
As part of the change, one of the new PS Plus Extra games for June 2026 was added ahead of schedule. Sonic X Shadow Generations is available now to subscribers. The next update will come on June 16 when Final Fantasy 16 is added to the Extra tier and Gitaroo Man is added to the Premium tier. Then June 23 will see the debuts of Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Life is Strange: Double Exposure, while Black Desert, Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 are coming on June 30.
What's That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Spreading the PS Plus Extra and Premium additions throughout the month will make the service function more like Xbox Game Pass, but the difference is many of the Game Pass games are day one releases. It's less exciting to have to wait for games that are already out, and so the most likely scenario is the change is just going to inconvenience current subscribers. It's possible Sony will walk back the change if it proves to be unpopular, but that remains to be seen.
It will be interesting to see if the July 2026 PS Plus games are handled similarly, but fans will have to wait about a month to find out. The next PS Plus update will happen on Wednesday, July 1, which is when the free Essential games for July will be revealed.