As gamers enter an all-new year, they’re looking forward to big releases, massive reveals, and of course, a slew of free games handed to them from subscription services like PS Plus. In a recent post, the first PS Plus game of January 2026 was revealed, and it’s coming in just a few days.
Fans of high-octane racing titles with an arcade twist will be pleased with what’s coming first to PS Plus in 2026.
Need for Speed: Unbound Coming to PS Plus
In a new post from Dealabs, it was leaked that the first game headed to PS Plus in January 2026 is Need for Speed: Unbound. It’ll be added to the PS Plus service from Tuesday, January 6th at 9 AM GMT.
According to the Dealabs report, Need for Speed: Unbound will be available across all tiers of PS Plus: Essential, Extra, and Premium. It’s not yet clear what the ‘other two titles’ are that will join the service at the same time.
Need for Speed: Unbound was released in 2022 and stands as the most recent iteration in the popular racing series. It secured a Metascore of 77, which is regarded as ‘Generally Favorable’, so it should be a nice addition to the PlayStation Plus service.
We recently published a guide showcasing the top PS Plus titles on the service released in 2025 that you need to play. No racing games found a spot on the list, unfortunately. It did feature the likes of God of War: Ragnarok, Red Dead Redemption, and Alan Wake 2, though.
Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server if you intend to install Need for Speed: Unbound when it lands on PS Plus in January 2026.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that fans have accused EA of copying Call of Duty art
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
More from Grant Taylor-Hill
Yeahhhh… Not too exciting for me personally. I did play this a fair amount when it launched into Game Pass a few years ago. But now the game just doesn’t bring me any hype. I gotta say, PS+ has been pretty damn disappointing much more often than it has got me excited and grateful for signing up for the service in the last 6 months to a year honestly. I will say that getting Skate Story day n date was sweet, but that was not a big game that most people would be into. I was a skater for over 20 years so skate games hit a bit different for me.