The PlayStation Plus Essential games for February 2026 have finally been revealed. And unlike most other months, players are getting access to four games this time. These games are Undisputed, Subnautica: Below Zero, Ultros, and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. These are four games in four wildly different genres and a few are somewhat unknown.
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And while two are from big franchises, here’s a brief explainer for all four of the PlayStation Plus Essential games for February 2026. They will all be available for all three tiers of PlayStation Plus subscribers from February 3rd to March 2nd.
4) Undisputed
Undisputed is a boxing game from 2023 from new studio Steel City Interactive. After a stint in early access, it released to moderate to decent reviews, coming in at an average score of 73.
Undisputed is a complicated game. Its controls are weighty but satisfying since it errs more on the simulation side of the spectrum and benefits from the overall crunchy sound design. The lack of competition in the boxing space also helps since there aren’t many modern alternatives. However, the boxing itself can also suffer from small irksome issues that pile up like repetitive announcers, odd stamina management, and janky hit detection. There’s also a career mode that makes players decide who to work with and how to train, but its lack of cutscenes or mini-games means it is a rather dry way to play.
Undisputed has seen multiple free updates and paid DLC packs. Steel City has patched in cross-platform play, online play with custom characters, more fighters, additional managers, cosmetics, the ability to queue up for multiple weight classes at once, more venues, extra knockout and knockdown animations, and some balance changes, to name a few. It has caught some flak for its expensive premium DLC, which, when added up, is more expensive than the base game. These packs have added multiple real-world fighters including, sadly, Jake Paul.
3) Subnautica: Below Zero
Subnautica: Below Zero is the frigid, stand-alone expansion following the success of the survival game that has become a titan in its genre. Below Zero was received pretty well, earning an average score of 83.
Below Zero has many of the qualities of its forebear but on a smaller scale, making it the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales to Marvel’s Spider-Man. Players have to scrap together resources on land and under the sea in order to get better gear that allows for extended forays out in the wild, all while keeping an eye on various survival-focused meters like hunger and thirst. Even with a greater focus on story than most of its peers (especially here with its voiced protagonist), Below Zero is still built around a loop of surviving and gathering materials.
Below Zero is a much more guided game when compared to the original, though. Whereas Subnautica is a harder, more isolating, and freeform title, Below Zero is more guided and isn’t quite as intense or grindy. This may welcome some into the genre but also be a little less satisfying for those who like to be thrown right into the literal ocean without a metaphorical raft. The ocean in Below Zero is also a little smaller and players won’t spend quite as much time in it, too. Below Zero has more land segments, which are not nearly as thrilling as the waterlogged bits and are the game’s weakest portions. Still, Below Zero makes for a decent survival game with a multifaceted approach that isn’t just aimed at the hardest of the hardcore.
Below Zero spent over two years in early access and didn’t get much support after it finally hit 1.0. It received one large update that added a custom mode, a new piece for the Seatruck, and an Unstuck Button that could put players back in the game’s boundaries if they glitch outside of the map.
2) Ultros
Ultros is an extremely vivid search action platformer that originally came out in 2023. Reviews were mostly positive and, together, average out to a score of 79.
Ultros is most notable for its striking art style that looks like a literal acid trip, which comes from artist Niklas Åkerblad, who is known for his work on the Hotline Miami games. It is technically a search action platformer since it takes place in a decently sized, two-dimensional world, but it isn’t full of a huge amount of traditional upgrades. The time loop nature of the game wipes the skills players grab (unless saved with a certain item), which is frustrating since it makes the game feel repetitive. This feeling compounds when considering the shallow combat and straightforward traversal, as it further highlights Ultros’ mechanical shortcomings. These weaknesses make it more of a vibes-based game that squeaks by through its vivid art, but others have lauded Ultros for its unique take on the well-trodden genre.
Ultros didn’t see any paid DLC, but it did receive updates that helped streamline the experience a bit. These small tweaks to quality-of-life changes range from showing chests and seeds on the map, keeping parts of the map permanently unfogged after exploring them, letting the protagonist run faster in water, better tutorials, and more generous aiming for the sprayer, to name a few.
1) Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the most recent entry in the long-running flying series. It was received well and earned an average score of 81.
This sequel is less of a sim and more of an arcadey flying game that has players take on a whole host of mission types. Such variety is one of Skies Unknown’s high points, as players spend time avoiding detection in cloud patches, destroying large structures, or dogfighting in a host of different locales, all of which keep the main gameplay rather fresh. Combat takes focus and tactical thinking since clouds and extreme weather can add wrenches into the mix and failing can be punishing since checkpoints are not always plentiful. Players can at least buy upgrades in between missions in order to get a leg up and feel like they are building their own tool of destruction. The story is also surprisingly prevalent for a game where players stare more at jets than they do humans, and, while inconsistent and not the main focus here, it at least gives context to all the dogfighting.
Skies Unknown saw a ton of post-launch support. Bandai Namco Entertainment not only did some light rebalancing, but it also added free skins and emblems, as well as an easier difficulty mode that was likely in response to claims that the campaign was a tad too hard. Its scores of premium DLC added many skins and emblems as well as all sorts of different aircrafts. One of these was also a collaboration with Top Gun: Maverick that came with multiple jets from the acclaimed 2022 film and some related skins, emblems, nicknames, songs, and more. Don’t expect to see Tom Cruise, though.
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