Early Access: PlayStation Plus Members Get First Dibs on Holiday Sale
As the year draws to a close, Sony is giving PlayStation Plus members a reason to celebrate early. The PlayStation Store Holiday Sale is now live, but only for those with an active PS Plus subscription. This exclusive early access window runs until December 21, 2025, offering significant discounts on some of the best games released this year and beyond. For non-subscribers, patience is key—the sale will open up to everyone the following week, just in time for holiday gaming marathons.
From massive AAA blockbusters to beloved indie favorites, the sale covers a wide spectrum of genres and styles. According to MP1st and TwistedVoxel, the list includes:
- A Way Out – $5.39: Hazelight’s award-winning co-op adventure.
- ACE COMBAT™7: SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN: Maverick Edition – $14.99: A high-flying jet combat experience.
- ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™ – Deluxe Edition – $29.99: Mech action from FromSoftware.
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows – $34.99 (50% off): The latest installment set in Japan, praised for its immersive world.
- Atomic Heart – Premium Edition – $38.49: A BioShock-inspired shooter, with all DLCs included.
- Battlefield™ 6 – $48.99 (30% off): The newest multiplayer FPS from EA.
- Dragon Age™: The Veilguard – $24.49: The next chapter in Bioware’s RPG saga.
- DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake – $35.99: A beautifully updated classic.
- ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN – $29.99 (25% off): FromSoftware’s multiplayer-focused spinoff, now with its first expansion.
- ELDEN RING – $38.99: The critically acclaimed open-world RPG.
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS5) – $19.99 (50% off): Rockstar’s genre-defining crime epic at its lowest ever price.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – $14.99: A Western masterpiece, packed with story and secrets.
- Hogwarts Legacy – $10.49: The Harry Potter universe comes alive in this open-world adventure.
- Mortal Kombat™ 1 – $9.99: A fighter packed with iconic characters and brutal finishers.
- NBA 2K26 for PS5® – $27.99: The latest basketball sim, still receiving seasonal updates.
- Forza Horizon 5 Standard Edition – $35.99: The acclaimed racing game, now on PlayStation.
Many titles have even deeper discounts on their deluxe and premium editions. For example, NBA 2K26 Superstar Edition is slashed by 60%, and EA SPORTS Playoff Bundle (including Madden NFL 26 and College Football 26) is half off. The sale also features bundles and special editions, making it an opportune time for players to grab expansions, DLCs, and collector’s content at a fraction of the usual price.
How Do These Discounts Stack Up?
Compared to previous years, the 2025 Holiday Sale is notable for its range and depth. Not only are recent releases like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Borderlands®4 included, but older classics such as Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition ($5.99 for three RPG epics) and L.A. Noire ($19.99) are at historic lows. Even perennial favorites like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 have dropped to prices rarely seen on the PlayStation Network, a move likely to tempt those who’ve held off buying until now.
The sale strategy also shows Sony’s continued push to reward PS Plus subscribers—not just with free monthly games, but with exclusive shopping opportunities that can save substantial amounts on top-tier releases. With discounts up to 60% on select editions, the Holiday Sale is as much a celebration of gaming value as it is a showcase of the PlayStation library’s breadth.
New Horizons: PlayStation Remote Play in the Afeela 1 Electric Car
While the Holiday Sale is dominating headlines, Sony is also making waves in automotive technology. In a surprising collaboration with Honda, the new Afeela 1 electric car features integrated PlayStation Remote Play capability. As reported by ixbt.games, this innovation allows users to connect to their PS4 or PS5 at home and play games directly from the vehicle’s infotainment system. The only requirement? The console must be powered on at home—cloud streaming via PlayStation Plus is not supported, at least for now.
Izumi Kawanishi, President and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, described the move as part of Afeela’s vision to make every journey more engaging and emotionally resonant. For gamers, the concept of playing their favorite titles during a long drive (as a passenger, of course) is no longer a futuristic fantasy—it’s arriving in 2025.
This development signals Sony’s ambition to extend PlayStation’s ecosystem beyond the living room, embedding interactive entertainment into everyday experiences. It’s not just about gaming at home anymore; it’s about taking those worlds on the road.
Upcoming Releases: Demos for The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon
With so much focus on sales and hardware, it’s easy to overlook the excitement of new game launches. Operation Rainfall reports that NIS America has released two demos for their anticipated RPG, The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon. The Story Demo, available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, lets players experience the prologue and transfer their progress to the full game upon release. A separate Battle Demo offers a hands-on preview of the combat system, but doesn’t support save transfer.
The full game launches January 15, 619, and the demos are a strategic way to build anticipation, giving fans an early taste of what’s to come. With PlayStation’s library growing ever more diverse, from epic RPGs to experimental crossovers like Afeela’s Remote Play, the landscape heading into 2026 is anything but predictable.
With exclusive early access, historic price drops, and innovations like in-car Remote Play, Sony is not just selling games—they’re reshaping how, where, and when we play. The Holiday Sale is a reminder that PlayStation remains at the forefront of gaming culture, offering both nostalgia and new possibilities as the industry speeds toward 2026.