January PS Plus Essential games: lineup, dates and details

Start the year with three new monthly games from PlayStation Plus Essential These games are arriving to liven up January with quite diverse offerings. Sony has officially confirmed the lineup of titles that can be added to the library in the coming weeks, maintaining its usual monthly rotation of content on PS4 and PS5.

This time, the selection is betting on a mix of arcade speed, classic-style platforming, and underground explorationPlayStation Plus members in Spain and the rest of Europe will have access to Need For Speed ​​Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and Core Keeper, provided they redeem them within the specified period.

Dates and conditions for the monthly PS Plus games in January

As detailed by Sony on its official blog, PlayStation Plus monthly games for January 2026 They will be available to all subscribers starting Tuesday, January 6. The promotion will run until Monday, February 2, following the service's usual pattern of redemption windows that span almost a full month.

During that time, any user with active subscription a PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra or Premium You can go to the Monthly Games section and add the three titles to your library. Downloading them immediately is not mandatory. Simply redeem them to permanently link them to your accountprovided that some type of PS Plus membership remains active.

All three games will be available on PS5while Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and Core Keeper will also have a PS4 versionSony had already announced that, throughout 2026, the focus of monthly games would be on the current generation, although releases for the previous console will continue to appear when a version is available.

The period for claiming this batch will be clearly defined: From Tuesday, January 6th until the first Tuesday of FebruaryOnce that date has passed, the titles will no longer be in the monthly games section and will be replaced by the next batch.

PS Plus Essential games list for January

La The first lineup of PS Plus monthly games in 2026 consists of three quite varied offeringsAll of them can be claimed during the same period and will be included at no additional cost for those who already pay for any of the active PS Plus subscriptions.

• Need For Speed ​​Unbound | PS5
• Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed PS4, PS5
• Core Keeper PS4, PS5

This combination allows you to alternate between street racing, platforming with Disney characters, and an underground exploration sandboxFor many PS5 users, it will also be an opportunity to try out titles that they may have missed at their original launch or that they hadn't followed closely.

It's worth remembering that, although the promotion is primarily intended for the Essential level, PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can also claim these three monthly games.Just like every month. The exchange works the same way for all tiers.

Need For Speed ​​Unbound: Arcade driving and chases in Lakeshore

Need For Speed ​​Unbound arrives as the representative of speed in January's PS Plus gamesDeveloped by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts, this installment of the veteran racing saga was originally released for the current generation and now joins the monthly catalog in its PS5 version.

The proposal suggests starting from the bottom in the street racing scene of Lakeshore, a fictional city inspired by Chicagoand gradually progress until you participate in The Grand, the major driving event that serves as the campaign's ultimate goal. Every race, bet, and chase has weight within the game's structure, making virtually every trip out on the road significant.

One of the most striking features of this installment is its artistic style with touches of cel-shading and urban aestheticwhich blends with a more realistic open world. This combination gives it a unique visual personality within the Need for Speed ​​saga, highlighting very distinctive effects in the vehicles, drifts, and characters.

In terms of gameplay, Need For Speed ​​Unbound focuses on a straightforward and accessible arcade driving experiencewith an emphasis on drifting, nitro control, and escaping the police. Law enforcement doesn't just appear sporadically: their pursuits can seriously complicate progress, with patrol cars and helicopters relentlessly pursuing you.

The game offers separate modes for single player and multiplayerThis allows you to progress through the main story solo or jump into the online mode to compete against other users. The garage offers extensive car customization, both aesthetically and mechanically, and the soundtrack features a selection of urban-style tracks that enhance the overall atmosphere.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, 3D platformers featuring forgotten Disney characters

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is the second piece in January's lineup and is betting on a tone diametrically opposed to the adrenaline of racingThis is a remake of the 3D platform title originally directed by Warren Spector, which brings back the world's most famous mouse for an adventure set in a rather peculiar place.

The game places the player in Wasteland, a world made up of forgotten Disney characters and settingsMickey Mouse, armed with a magic paintbrush and solvent, must make his way through this alternate universe repairing damaged areas, altering the environment, and uncovering hidden secrets.

The core mechanics revolve around the use of paint and solvent to modify the scenePaint can be used to restore platforms, objects, or structures, while solvent allows you to erase parts of the environment to open new paths or reveal hidden elements. This duality not only affects puzzles and level design but also impacts how the adventure unfolds.

Throughout the journey, Mickey encounters iconic figures like Oswald the Lucky RabbitConsidered the first major character created by Walt Disney, the game incorporates collectibles in the form of virtual pins, side challenges, and levels inspired by classic shorts and films, adding a nostalgic element for those who grew up with that world.

This Rebrushed version updates the graphics, the controls, and certain mechanicsWith the aim of making the experience smoother on PS4 and PS5. Although it maintains the structure and spirit of the original, it introduces quality-of-life improvements and adjustments that smooth out some of the rough edges of the 2010 release without altering its core.

Core Keeper, underground exploration and cooperation for up to eight players

The third title, Core Keeper, completes the monthly offering with an experience focused on exploration, mining and survivalIt's a top-down sandbox game where one or eight players can share a game and build a base inside a huge cavern full of secrets.

The premise places the main character waking up in a forgotten caveWith no information other than the need to gather resources to survive, the player expands their camp, digging tunnels, reinforcing walls, and crafting increasingly advanced tools and equipment.

One of the great attractions of Core Keeper is its emphasis on the progression and evolution of the worldAs new areas are excavated, distinct biomes, more dangerous creatures, and rare materials are discovered, allowing players to unlock better weapons, armor, and machinery. The game includes skills that improve with use, so mining, combat, and cooking refine the character's profile.

In addition to the survival aspect, Core Keeper incorporates More relaxed activities such as farming, fishing, or animal husbandryThe combination of these tasks with exploration creates a gameplay rhythm that alternates between moments of calm and demanding encounters, especially when it comes to facing the great bosses known as Titans.

The cooperative multiplayer supports up to eight participants in the same game, allowing tasks to be divided, build more complex bases and face team battlesThis social dimension has been one of the keys to its positive reception, especially among those who enjoy titles like Terraria or Stardew Valley and are looking for an alternative focused on caves and mining.

How to redeem your January PS Plus games

The procedure for adding January's PS Plus games to your library is the usual one, but it's worth remembering to avoid any oversights. Simply have an active subscription to any of the PS Plus plans. and access the corresponding section during the promotion period.

From the console, the user must Enter the PlayStation Plus menu and look for the Monthly Games section.Need For Speed ​​Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, and Core Keeper will appear there, with the option to add them to your library or redeem them. The same process can be done from the official PlayStation website or through the mobile app, by logging in with the same account.

Once the redemption button has been pressed, The game remains linked to the account indefinitely.Even if it's not downloaded immediately. As long as the user maintains an active PlayStation Plus subscription (Essential, Extra, or Premium), they can download and play them whenever they want, without any time limit.

If the subscription expires or it is cancelledThe titles will still be listed in the library, but They cannot be started until the service is reactivatedThis system has been the standard for PS Plus monthly games for years, and it remains unchanged for the January 2026 selection.

Last days for December's monthly games

The arrival of the new batch in January means that December's PS Plus Essential games are entering their final days available for redemption. Sony has reminded everyone that this selection, consisting of five titles, will remain active until the first days of January.

December's games include proposals such as LEGO Horizon Adventures, Killing Floor 3, The Outlast Trials, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada and Neon WhiteAll of them can still be claimed during the first week of the new year, before disappearing from the monthly section to make room for the January lineup.

The deadline set by the company states that until January 5th Users will still be able to add December games to their library. Starting the following day, the window will close, and only Need for Speed ​​Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, and Core Keeper will be available as active monthly games.

For subscribers who haven't checked the catalog in recent weeks, this might be a good time to Check the PS Plus section and make sure you don't miss any December titles that they find interesting. Just like with the January games, you only need to redeem them once to keep them associated with your account for as long as you have a subscription.

With this lineup, PlayStation Plus starts the year offering A trio of games that blends arcade driving, Disney-licensed platforming, and a cooperative underground exploration sandboxMaintaining its strategy of variety within the Essential plan, and with redemption dates, continued PS4 support in some specific cases, and the overlap with the final days of December's games, January is shaping up to be a busy month for those who take full advantage of the service's monthly games.