The best PS Plus monthly games 2022 for PS5 and PS4 — ranked

PS Plus monthly lineups include a 'free' PS5 and PS4 game selection for Essential subscribers to add to their library. In this article, we are ranking the game lineups from best to worst. From Mass Effect to FIFA, let's jump in!

The best PS Plus games are the ones you knew you wanted for your PS4 or PS5, but didn't feel the urge to splash money on them. With the monthly Essential games you get the chance every month to add three or more games to your library and see where these adventures take you. This year, we ran polls for every lineup asking what you thought of the games as well as a final poll asking for your favourite PS Plus months. Using this data, we have ranked the PS Plus monthly game lineups for PS5 and PS4 from worst to best.

UFC 4's PS Plus outing has been KO'd

12. February (UFC 4, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, Planet Coaster)

The worst PS Plus monthly games lineup for PS5 and PS4 in 2022 is February with EA Sports UFC 4, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, and Planet Coaster. Most of you at the time said the games were either okay (33%) or awful (31%). You have a double billing of controversy here. Not everyone likes sports, so for a large percentage of players UFC 4 just doesn't appeal. Then you have Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep which was originally a DLC for Borderlands 2 re-released for PS4.

The irritation here is that this really was just an advertisement for the then-upcoming Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. It was so transparent it was hard for many players to give it a pass on. Planet Coaster, meanwhile, was a fantastic addition for fans of theme park-building games. It can't rescue February for being the weakest selection of the year, however; it's just too full of old and niche games.

FIFA 22 might have dominated early, but no one liked it

11. May (FIFA 22, Tribes of Midgard, Curse of the Dead Gods)

May's PS Plus games confirm that sports games aren't always the best addition to the monthly lineup. FIFA 22, the biggest of the sports games, couldn't help the community see these games any more fondly with most suggesting the selection was just okay (35%).

However, it was a close run race with 31% thinking it was an awful selection and 23% not happy with the games. Curse of the Dead Gods is a non-starter for most and Tribes of Midgard... well, has anyone heard of anyone who has played either of these? That speaks volumes. A rubbish month.

Need for Speed Heat was popular, but it can't elevate a underrated lineup

10. September (Granblue Fantasy Versus, Need for Speed Heat, Toem)

We are more than a little surprised at this one being voted to such a lowly position by the community given Need for Speed Heat's massive popularity off the back of its PS Plus appearance. Most were totally content or happy at the time, with 61% of you identifying with those options. That means only 39% of you were discontent in some way — but clearly, feelings have changed since then. We suspect that for many of you, Granblue Fantasy Versus and Toem just never got played and thus the games are left just above the viscerally hated lineups from this year. A shame for what we thought was a solid lineup for PS Plus in September.

Hood Outlaws & Legends is cross platform so PS Plus made sense

9. April (Hood Outlaws and Legends, Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated, Slay the Spire)

Slay the Spire was let down by its April PS Plus comrades here. The fabulous card-driven roguelike is incredible, but the less said about Spongebob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated the better. The reaction here was generally that these games are mediocre (40%).

However, most people actually voted for either that they weren't happy (25%) or that it was an awful selection of games (25%) in March. That suggests that there was a substantial portion of unhappy players, and the only mildly intriguing Hood Outlaws & Legends probably didn't help matters at all as another struggling live-service game was foisted upon the PS Plus selection. Not ideal.

Team Sonic Racing isn't as good as it's predecessor, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

8. March (Ark Survival Evolved, Team Sonic Racing, Ghostrunner, Ghost of Tsushima Legends)

PS Plus' March selection is maybe the oddest on here. Team Sonic Racing and Ghostrunner is one of those double games billings that helps float two weaker games. It was regarded as an okay selection by 46% of you at the time, 35% of you looked at it less favourably, and 19% were happy with the selection. We would suggest that Ghost of Tsushima Legends probably didn't move the needle for most people and Ark Survival Evolved likely already had its community of Dino-building stumpy-looking maniacs firmly established. Pretty much as 'meh' as it gets, March.

Kratos with his boy, a severed head, and a very mid PS Plus outing

7. June (God of War, Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl)

God of War is blatantly a great game, but that doesn't make it a great PS Plus game. It can only land our June selection in 7th with most poll voters okay with the month (32%) at the time, but many more looking unfavourably upon the lineup (55%). The aforementioned God of War had been bought by pretty much everyone or claimed through the Essential Games Collection, meaning we suspect a few people who didn't have the game yet voted for this lineup straight away.

Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker probably didn't really help anyone change their minds on proceedings though most people seemed to enjoy it well enough. Then you have Nickolodeon All-Star Brawl which had a wonderful redemption arc this year. That doesn't help it raise the month of June any higher than 7th, but it's something!

Hot Wheels Unleashed was... fine?

6. October (Hot Wheels Unleashed, Injustice 2, Superhot)

October 2022's PS Plus games feature a really fun selection that lands it bang in the middle of the list. Most were happy or content (67%) and detractors were minimal (33%), leaving this month's games stranded as a good selection, but not excellent. Injustice 2 is a fantastic fighter, but it's a niche genre even if it does have superheroes. Hot Wheels Unleashed is a fun toy racer that is perfectly good and even popular, but by no means amazing. Finally, Superhot is a wonderful little indie game, but it has been around for a good few years now. Unspectacular, but good!

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time ~ SuperHeroArt

Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time made PS Plus worth the money

5. July (Arcadegeddon, Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology Man of Medan)

Voters were very happy with PS Plus in July (43%), or at least considered it unremarkable at worst (35%). No doubt, Man of Medan was a useful inclusion as most people might not have given the game a go yet even if they loved Supermassive Games' previous PS4 hit Until Dawn.

The same goes for Crash Bandicoot 4 It's About Time. Activision seemed to think sales were a bit soft, indicating that its role as a free game might have really helped push it into the hands of a bucketload of fans. Arcadegeddeon is fun enough and has its community. A month solid enough to push it into the upper echelons of this list.

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 was a charmer with PS Plus

4. November (Heavenly Bodies, Lego Harry Potter Collection, Nioh 2 Remastered)

A strong month with a bit for everybody is November's PS Plus lineup in a nutshell. When 76% of you are happy or content with that kind of lineup, it speaks volumes. Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 and Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 offers players the genuine delights of co-op video gaming, as did Heavenly Bodies. Toss in the hardcore love for Nioh 2 Remastered — a game that actually borders on Dark Souls levels of obsession from some corners of the gaming world — and there is no doubt that November's PS Plus selection was a winner.

DiRT 5 is so boring... but Persona is very good.

3. January (Persona 5 Strikers, Dirt 5, Deep Rock Galactic)

January gave us racing, musos, and mining with dwarves. At the time, 41% of you told us that you were very happy with the selection, or that they were okay (40%). January was a well-balanced month, in fairness. Dirt 5 is critically well regarded, though the general consensus amongst racing fans seems to be that it is one of the most beautifully dull AAA racers ever constructed. Deep Rock Galactic brought drunkards and short people together in unison for a spate of mining in one of the most fun co-op experiences of the year. Meanwhile, Persona 5 Strikers is loved by fans of the JRPG series and the muso genre alike, making it a surefire winner. Well-rounded, well-regarded games doth a well-thought-of PS Plus month make!

Yakuza Like A Dragon helped give us a fun PS Plus month in August

2. August (Little Nightmares, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, Yakuza Like a Dragon)

The second-best PS Plus monthly lineup belonged to August. A massive 78% of you were happy with the games with minimal detractors. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 is one of the biggest cops for PS Plus this year, with the superb remaster reaping critical and fan praise alike.

Match that with some cheeky Yakuza Like a Dragon action and you have a double billing of AAA action that deserves its lofty position on this list. The JRPG is universally beloved, and while not exactly mainstream, it is respected by the mainstream and hardcore alike. Little Nightmares does have its fans too, though we suspect it wasn't a game-changer this month. An incredible month and for many PS Plus subscribers what a template monthly selection should look like.

Mass Effect is swinging for for first on the PS Plus rankings

1. December (Mass Effect, Biomutant, Divine Knockout)

The best PS Plus monthly games lineup for PS5 and PS4 in 2022 is December with Mass Effect, Biomutant, and Divine Knockout. We find it a little comical given we all know that the Mass Effect Legendary Edition collection — compiling some of the greatest sci-fi operas in videogamedom — has carried the other games on its back. However, it is such a great addition that we don't mind one bit; nor seemingly did you lot. A massive 66% of you were very happy with the lineup, 26% of you thought it was just okay, and 8% didn't like it.

Biomutant certainly has its charm as a AA title, but the more of it people play, the more issues appear to pop up. Likewise, Divine Knockout hasn't KO'd anyone with its brawling chaos yet and is a symbol of PS Plus's tendency to be a dumping ground for live-service or community-based games in severe need of players. Mass Effect, though, was clearly the pinnacle of PS Plus offerings and nothing else could even touch it for most players. December 2022 was the best monthly games lineup of 2022 for PS Plus subscribers!

Wow! What a year! Let us know what you thought of this year of PS Plus extravagance and I will see you in the comments!

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Written by Kes Eylers-Stephenson

Editor Kes is our resident expert in PlayStation and other gaming news. He writes about PS5 exclusives like The Last of Us and Horizon, PS Plus news, and his favorite games — The Witcher, Assassin’s Creed, and God of War — before an evening swim.