The recently unveiled PlayStation Plus free games for March 2023 will break a pattern that has been in place for years, marking a significant change for the service.

Although the recent State of Play had its ups and downs, not many people expected the early reveal of PlayStation Plus games for March 2023. Sony didn’t just give a sneak peek at the new PS Plus free games. It also confirmed a handful of games coming to PS Plus Extra and Premium. No word yet on the latter, but as far as the Essential tier is concerned, the PS Plus free games came in February 2023 are miles ahead of the Essential tier.

This is surprising, given PS Plus’s typical ‘big March’ pattern: for those who don’t know, some of the year’s best games are typically given away in March.

In recent years, games like Bloodborne, 2016’s Ratchet and Clank, The Witness, Shadow of the Colossus, Final Fantasy VII Remake and many more have been released. It’s a huge line-up to follow, and this year it looks like Sony is breaking with that tradition.

PS Plus free games, March 2023:

• Battlefield 2042 (PS5/PS4)
• Minecraft Dungeons (PS4)
• Code Vein (PS4)

Unfortunately, it’s not a very impressive list. Battlefield 2042 has been controversial since its release. It’s supposedly improved, and some might give it a second chance here, but the fact is that it’s pretty pale compared to previous March releases. Code Vein is a solid title, and Minecraft Dungeons certainly has its fans. But they can’t compete with Bloodborne, Final Fantasy VII Remake or anything like that.

However, the full range of PS Plus Extra and Premium games has yet to be revealed. So the month as a whole may be more robust than the Essential tier would suggest. PS Plus Extra and Premium have already confirmed Ghostwire: Tokyo, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Rainbow Six Extraction, the one-day release of Tchia, and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.

Indie hits on PlayStation Plus

Sony’s service is also boasting some surprising results. Soren Lundgaard, CEO of Ghost Ship Games, said that the PlayStation Plus release of Deep Rock Galactic was an incredible success. Specifically, Lundgaard says that 10 million PlayStation Plus subscribers not only requested the game but also started playing it “very, very quickly” after its release. This PlayStation Plus release surpassed Deep Rock Galactic’s 1.0 release and, as Lundgaard describes it, “pushed the Deep Rock Galactic IP even further into the mainstream”. It’s good to know that PS Plus is a real stepping stone for smaller development teams.

Source: DigitalSpy, Retbit

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— Deep Rock Galactic (@JoinDeepRock) February 23, 2023