The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, completely changing life for virtually everyone on the planet. This included the cancellation of public events and lockdowns to keep people indoors and away from one another to help stop the spread of the virus. Various companies stepped up to provide free content to people as a way to encourage them to stay home and do their part to try getting the virus under control, and that included Sony's Play at Home initiative.
The PlayStation Play at Home program in 2020 gave away Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, the remastered versions of the original Uncharted games, as well as Journey, the critically-acclaimed title from thatgamecompany. Contrary to the free PlayStation Plus games, the PlayStation Play at Home games came with no strings attached and no need to sign up for any subscription services. All players needed was a PlayStation 4 handy if they wanted to claim some free games.
A year later, there is some hope in sight for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccinations are rolling out en masse to finally bring the pandemic to a close and bring life back to normal. People are still encouraged to stay at home whenever possible to help contain the spread of the virus, and in light of that, Sony has decided to bring back its PlayStation Play at Home program for 2021. However, it's taking things to the next level this year, offering many more free games on top of other bonuses for people to take advantage of over the course of four months.
Ratchet & Clank + Funimation
When Sony announced the return of the PlayStation Play at Home program, it announced that Ratchet & Clank, the PS4 reimaging of the series that launched in 2016, would be part of the deal. Until March 31 at 8pm PT, PlayStation gamers can claim Ratchet & Clank for their collection, which is great for those who missed out on it when it was a free PS Plus game or for those who don't have a PS5 and can't play it through the PS Plus Collection. Ratchet & Clank earned strong reviews at the time of its release for its graphics, amusing story, and classic Ratchet & Clank gameplay, so it should be a surefire hit for any platforming fans that have yet to check it out.
Ratchet & Clank is one of the highest-rated PS4 exclusive games, and so its inclusion set the tone for the other free games that Sony would make a part of the Play at Home program for 2021. However, this year the Play at Home program isn't just about giving people free video games to play. Sony has leveraged some of its other assets to sweeten the pot, as it will be extending the free trials for new Funimation subscribers starting March 25. This is just in time for people to watch the new season of My Hero Academia, so it's a deal that will no doubt be appreciated by anime fans.
10 Free Games
One would've thought that March's Play at Home offerings would've ended there, but then Sony made the bombshell announcement that it would be giving away an additional 10 free games. Nine of these games will be available from March 25 to at 8pm PT to April 22 at 8pm PT, and they include five traditional titles that fans can play on their PS4 or PS5 consoles, as well as four games that are exclusive to PlayStation VR. Even if one doesn't have a PlayStation VR right now, though, they can still claim the free games for use later on, and they should definitely make it a point to do so, as the free VR games include some of the highest-rated games.
The PlayStation VR games that Sony is making free starting March 25 include Moss, Paper Beast, and Thumper, with the lineup headlined by Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Not only is Astro Bot Rescue Mission one of the highest-rated PlayStation VR games, it's also one of the highest-rated virtual reality games ever made period, arguably only succeeded by Valve's Half-Life: Alyx. An absolute must-play game for VR enthusiasts and 3D platforming fans alike, Astro Bot Rescue Mission is perhaps the most notable game in the free games lineup coming on March 25.
As for the more traditional games, fans can look forward to Rez Infinite (which also has a PlayStation VR mode), Abzu, The Witness, Enter the Gungeon, and Subnautica. These are all admittedly smaller-scale games, but they also include some critically-acclaimed titles, particularly in the case of Rez Infinite and The Witness, with the latter having been developed by Braid creator Jonathon Blow.
The 10th free game will be available from April 19 at 8pm PT to May 14 at 8pm PT in the form of Horizon Zero Dawn. Another critically-acclaimed PS4 game, Horizon Zero Dawn is a big "get" for the lineup, arguably even more-so than the Ratchet & Clank game. After all, Horizon Zero Dawn is not part of the PS Plus Collection on PS5, and so it's quite likely that there are people who have yet to experience it and will now be able to try it out for free.
The List
Here is a full list of the PlayStation Play at Home free games announced for 2021 so far. Remember to claim them before they're no longer available.
Available Until March 31 at 8pm PT
- Ratchet & Clank
Available March 25 at 8pm PT until April 22 at 8pm PT
- Abzu
- Astro Bot Rescue Mission
- Enter the Gungeon
- Moss
- Paper Beast
- Subnautica
- Rez Infinite
- The Witness
- Thumper
Available April 19 at 8pm PT Until May 14 at 8pm PT
- Horizon Zero Dawn
A Pattern?
The announcement of 10 free games seems to have thrown off the PlayStation Play at Home pattern, but that's not necessarily the case. So far, it seems as though Sony is releasing one "big" game each month for Play at Home, with that game getting added to the lineup independent of other offers like the Funimation free trial or the nine smaller-scale games that are getting added on March 25.
For March, that big free game is Ratchet & Clank, which is a series with a new game that's coming out this summer. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is scheduled to launch June 11 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, and so it's possible Sony is looking to make new Ratchet & Clank fans with the free game giveaway. For April, the big free game is Horizon Zero Dawn, and as it turns out, that game is getting a sequel this year as well on PS4 and PS5, Horizon Forbidden West.
Sony has said that the PlayStation Play at Home program will run for four months this year, which means it will conclude in June. Assuming it sticks to the pattern that it's established with Ratchet & Clank and Horizon Zero Dawn, that means PlayStation gamers may have two more big games to look forward to for those months. What those games will be is anyone's guess, though it seems one of the most likely possibilities is the 2018 God of War game.
Like Ratchet & Clank and Horizon Zero Dawn, the 2018 God of War game has a sequel coming out in 2021. Little is known about the God of War sequel beyond that Sony hopes for it to launch this year, but that is still enough for it to fit the pattern established so far. The other game is harder to guess, but it will definitely be interesting to see what other Play at Home freebies Sony has planned for PlayStation gamers in the months ahead.