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PS5 and PS4 users are employing a clever strategy to snag three months’ worth of PS Plus Essential free games using just a one-month subscription. Although accessing these games requires an active membership, many players see the benefits and are taking advantage of this approach, which we find quite impressive.
The key is all about timing. Throughout the year, the first Tuesday of each month — when new Essential game lineups are released — can sometimes fall on days that allow users to claim games from the previous month, the current month, and the upcoming month, all with a single one-month subscription.
For example, in January 2026, this scenario played out, as highlighted by Reddit user maxsteel126. If you bought a one-month PS Plus Essential membership on January 5, you could have claimed December 2025’s free games. Since the January lineup then went live, you’d also be able to claim those titles.
Looking ahead, the February lineup will become available on February 3 — just two days before your subscription in this example ends — meaning you could then claim February’s free games as well. This process essentially grants access to three months’ worth of games, totaling around nine titles on average.
People are doing this mainly because, even though the games are tied to their accounts, they can’t truly access the titles without an active subscription, and most players don’t have time to enjoy all of them within a single month. As discussed in a Reddit thread, many see this as a more economical way to build their game library over time.
One Reddit user explained, “I’ve been doing similar tricks over the past year while working through my endless backlog. I pause my subscription every other month to play a couple of PS Plus titles, then resume. It’s cheaper than buying a full 12-month membership.”
Another added, “The games stay linked to your account for when you want to play them later,” which makes this method quite appealing.
Have you tried this trick yourself?
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