Pack-in games might mostly be a thing of the past, but Sony's offering the next best thing for new PS5 owners in the US: one free game from among a dozen of the console's very best titles.
The new PS5 Upgrader Program is pretty limited in scope, applying only to those in the US who purchase a PS5 until October 20, 2023, but it's an excellent deal for those who fit into the window. All you need to do is activate your console, go to the PlayStation Store, and click on the banner for the promotion, where you'll be directed to choose your free game from the list of 12.
That list of 12 includes some of the absolute best PS5 games out there, with a robust selection of Sony's most impressive first-party titles. The full list includes Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered, God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Demon’s Souls, The Last of Us Part 1, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Returnal, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, and Death Stranding: Director’s Cut.
There's no clear indication of when the promotion started, but anecdotal reports on social media suggest that it's been going for the past few days. If you've gotten your PS5 within the past week or so, it's worth hitting up the PlayStation Store to see if you've got a free game waiting for you.
Sony has sadly killed off the PlayStation Plus Collection in favor of offering a library of games through various PS Plus tiers, which makes this new deal arguably the best available for the console. It's worth noting, of course, that everybody gets the incredible platformer Astro's Playroom for free on PS5, and I'm still not convinced that there's ever been a better console showcase.
If you're looking for what's next on your shiny new console, check out our guide to the biggest upcoming PS5 games.
