A lot could be said for this selection, but namely, it’s worth noting what they could mean as a whole. It remains to be seen, but kicking off the new year with a strong selection could imply a strong year. It could also mean nothing. ForPS Plusin particular, though, it’s worth looking at it through a specific lens: patterns.
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PS Plus Free Games and Trends Leading Into January 2022
It’s worth saying over and over again that, while the PS Plus free games may not be predictable month after month, they do typically follow a pattern for a few months. Much of 2020, for example, saw its one big game, one small game release schedule, whilePS Plus in 2021 saw a strong push for PS5 releasesbefore slowing down near the end of 2021. Where it perhaps dropped the ball the most is less variation between the games.
The trick is to not attempt to make everyone happy, but to vary it enough that hopefully most are happy with something.Deep Rock Galactic, Persona 5 Strikers, andDirt 5emphasize variety for PS Plus free games, and they are better because of that. The first ticks off a class-based shooter and fun co-op game, for those who like one if not all of those things.Persona 5 Strikersshould appeal to fans of the JRPG franchise (if they haven’t already played it) and a Musou game, andDirt 5is for the racing fans out there. This makes a strong selection, but Sony took it a step further with something that should be a new trend.
PS Plus Free Games for January 2022 May Signal a New Trend
Namely, PS Plus free games for January 2022 include not one, but two PS5 games. All three games are available for those on PS4 but adding more PS5 love to the mix-up is not a bad trend for Sony to invest in.Deep Rock Galacticis releasing its full-blown PS5 version, technically making it a launch game on PS Plus (even if it was out on other platforms beforehand).Dirt 5’s PS5 version is also downloadable, makingPersona 5 Strikersthe only strictly PS4 game.
Of course, any PS4 game is playable on PS5, but the improvements go a long way in some games. Having more PS5 games on the line-up, following the pattern of new PS5 releases over the past year, would be a good and strong pattern in 2022. Even if not every month features alaunch game likeDeep Rock Galactic, two PS5 games/month would be welcomed by many PS5 owners, and making them available on PS4 too leaves no one out.
It’ll be interesting to see where PS Plus goes this year in terms of patterns and releases.PlayStation has a strong 2022 ahead of itself with major AAA titleslaunching throughout the year, but reinforcing those with free PS5 games is only going to give it a stronger year.
