2026 is upon us, friends, and while that’s a scary thought, it also means we have another month of free PlayStation Plus Essential monthly games to add to our library. Now, what’s fascinating is PlayStation was supposed to be enacting the promise it made at the beginning of 2025 to stop putting PS4 games into the monthly freebies. Yet somehow, there’s a PS4 game in this month’s selection. So what’s going on?

Putting that mystery aside, let’s delve into the games. These three titles will be available to download and keep from January 6, and will be playable so long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.

Leading the pack this month is the newest game in the Need For Speed franchise, Need For Speed: Unbound for PS5. I reviewed this one back when it released in 2022 and found it to be a solid game. The street racing is fun, the handling solid, customisation is decent and it’s all held together by a story that makes you want to strangle some people. Classic Need For Speed, in other words.

Here’s blurb: “Start at the bottom, race to the top in the latest entry in the iconic Need for Speed franchise. With separate single and multiplayer campaigns, this latest edition in the Need for Speed franchise from Criterion Games delivers hours of electric, adrenaline-pumping racing action. Race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack that bumps in every corner of the world.” 

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (PS4, PS5) is up next and is my personal pick of the month simply because I’ve been wanting to play it. As an update to the 2010 game, it reviewed pretty well, holding a solid 77 on Opencritic and a “Very Positive” user rating on Steam. But really, I just don’t want to say anything bad in case Disney kicks down my front door and drags me off to one of their secret underground lairs. Am I kidding? Maybe.

“Play as Mickey Mouse and embark on an epic journey through Wasteland, a realm of forgotten Disney characters. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed brings the magic of Disney to life in a vibrant 3D platformer. This beautiful remake sends Mickey into a fantastical world where you use paint and thinner to shape your adventure and the fate of this alternate world. Every stroke of your magic brush matters! Use paint to restore beauty and harmony or thinner to alter your environment and uncover hidden secrets. Encounter iconic characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first creation. Collect virtual Disney pins and tackle creative challenges while exploring classic platforming levels inspired by animated films and shorts.”

Last but certainly not least, we have Core Keeper (PS4, PS5), a game I know almost nothing about, so here’s the blurb instead: “Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets. In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey. Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed. Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core. Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.”

Overall, this is a meh month for me, but I am pretty happy to play Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, so that’s nice. Let know what you think about this month’s lineup in the comments below.