PlayStation Adds 4 New Free Downloads You Don't Need PlayStation Plus For

4 days ago 7

A white PS5 console in front of a blue Sony background.

Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy.

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Given that 2026 is shaping up to be another huge year for video games, it makes sense to try before you buy. Fortunately, PlayStation gamers can now get their hands on four of the biggest new games of 2026 right now, for free. The best part? You don't need a PlayStation Plus subscription to do so.

For those who might not know, PlayStation offers hundreds of free demos that you can download and try at any time. To be clear, these are entirely separate from the Game Trials that are only available to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Side note, offering what are essentially glorified demos as a perk for the highest tier of PlayStation Plus remains one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard. But we're getting off track, let's dive into what's new and what does not require PS Plus.

PlayStation Has Four New Freebies, No PS Plus Required

At the time of writing, there are four big new games you can download and check out at no extra cost. The big headline game is, of course, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Square Enix has released an extended demo ahead of the remake's release date on February 5, and any progress you make will carry over to the full game.

Then we have Front Mission 3: Remake, which is coming to PlayStation at the end of the month. You can check that out free of charge right now via a special demo.

If that doesn't float your boat, take a look at The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Battle Demo, which will give you a taste of the upcoming action JRPG's battle systems ahead of its release on January 15. There's also a separate story demo for the game, if you're more interested in learning a little more about the game's plot and characters.

Finally, we have Cassette Boy, which releases January 14 and looks like it could be one of 2026's first hidden gems. This puzzle RPG looks genuinely adorable, and if the demo doesn't win you over, you might actually be dead inside.

So, to recap, we have:

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
Front Mission 3: Remake
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon
Cassette Boy

PlayStation Has Hundreds Of Demos

You can definitely find something for you

If those four games don't really register your interest, I have to stress again, there are hundreds of demos for games both old and new via the PlayStation Store. It's honestly not a feature that gets talked about often enough, but if you're unsure about spending money on a game and there's an available demo, you'd be a fool not to check it out.

Meanwhile, if you do happen to be a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, extended Game Trials cover everything from Cyberpunk 2077 to Hogwarts Legacy, so you're definitely sorted.