Honestly, looking at the list of psn games for december 2025, it feels like Sony just decided to dump their holiday budget on us all at once. Usually, the end-of-year lineup can be a bit hit-or-miss—either they give us some massive triple-A title everyone already owns or a bunch of indie games that stay buried in the library. This time? It’s different.
You’ve got a weirdly perfect mix of brand-new releases, niche gems, and some heavy hitters like Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
But there’s a catch.
Most people just click "add to library" and forget these exist. That's a mistake. Between the Essential tier and the Game Catalog additions for Extra and Premium members, there are over a dozen titles to sift through. If you aren't careful, you'll spend more time scrolling than actually playing.
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The Essential Picks: What's Actually Worth Your Storage Space?
Let's talk about the Essential tier first. This is what every single subscriber gets, and for December 2025, the headliner is definitely LEGO Horizon Adventures.
It’s a bit of a weird one, isn't it?
Taking a serious, post-apocalyptic story about robot dinosaurs and turning it into a goofy brick-fest shouldn't work, but it really does. It’s lighthearted, it’s got couch co-op, and it’s basically the perfect "holiday" game to play with a younger sibling or a non-gamer partner.
But if you’re looking for something that’ll actually make your heart race, The Outlast Trials is the one to watch. Most horror fans were skeptical when they heard Outlast was going multiplayer. We thought it would lose that claustrophobic "I'm going to die" feeling. It didn't.
Playing this solo is a nightmare. Playing with friends? It's a chaotic, terrifying mess in the best way possible.
The Full Essential Lineup for December 2025
- LEGO Horizon Adventures (PS5)
- Killing Floor 3 (PS5)
- The Outlast Trials (PS4, PS5)
- Synduality Echo of Ada (PS5)
- Neon White (PS4, PS5)
Wait, Neon White? If you haven't played this yet, stop reading and go download it. It’s a speedrunner's dream disguised as a first-person shooter. You use soul cards to move and attack, and the goal is basically to finish levels as fast as humanly possible. It’s addictive. Like, "just one more run at 2 AM" addictive.
Extra and Premium: The Heavy Hitters are Here
If you’re on the higher tiers, the psn games for december get even more interesting. Sony added Assassin’s Creed Mirage to the Catalog, which is a massive win for anyone who missed out on Basim’s journey.
It's a "back to basics" game. No sprawling 100-hour maps like Valhalla or Odyssey. It’s just Baghdad, some hidden blades, and a lot of rooftops. It feels like the original games from the PS3 era, but with modern polish.
Then there’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
If you like Sekiro or the Nioh series, this is your game. It’s tough. It’s punishing. You will die a lot. But the parry mechanic—called "Deflect" in this game—is incredibly satisfying once it clicks. It’s set in a dark fantasy version of the Han Dynasty, so expect plenty of demonic boss fights that’ll make you want to throw your DualSense across the room.
Why Skate Story is the Surprise Gem
Everyone was talking about Skate Story when it was first announced. You play as a demon made of glass. You have to skate through the underworld to eat the moon.
It sounds like a fever dream.
The aesthetic is everything here. It’s lo-fi, glitchy, and atmospheric. It’s not a hardcore sim like Session, and it’s not quite as arcadey as Tony Hawk. It’s its own thing. It joined the service as a day-one launch on December 8, and honestly, it’s worth the sub price just to experience the soundtrack.
The "Classics" Corner: Soulcalibur Returns
For the Premium subscribers, the big addition is Soulcalibur III.
Now, look, people still argue about which Soulcalibur is the best. Usually, it's a toss-up between II and VI. But III had that insane "Chronicles of the Sword" mode that was basically a mini-RPG strategy game inside a fighter.
It’s local multiplayer only, which sucks for some, but for a nostalgia trip? It’s unbeatable. Seeing these old PS2-era graphics upscaled on a 4K TV is always a bit jarring at first, but the gameplay holds up.
Don't Sleep on the "Leaving Soon" List
The biggest mistake people make with psn games for december is ignoring the titles that are about to vanish.
PS Plus isn't a permanent library. Games leave the Extra and Premium catalogs every month. If you’ve been sitting on a game for six months thinking "I'll get to it eventually," you might be out of luck.
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Usually, these games rotate out around the third Tuesday of the month. In December, we saw a handful of big titles like Mega Man 11 and several Judgment games head for the exit. If you see a game with a little "yellow lock" icon or a countdown timer in the PS Plus tab, that’s your signal to either finish it or buy it on sale before it’s gone.
Practical Steps to Manage Your Library
Look, storage space on the PS5 is still a headache even with the M.2 expansion slot. You don't need to download everything at once.
- Claim the Essentials first. You only have until early January (specifically January 5, 2026) to hit that "Add to Library" button. Once you do, they’re yours as long as you have an active sub.
- Prioritize the "Extra" Catalog. Unlike the Essentials, if these games leave the service, you lose access even if they’re installed. Start with the shorter experiences like Cat Quest III or Skate Story before diving into a behemoth like Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
- Check your 2025 Wrap-Up. Sony released the "PlayStation Wrap-Up" for 2025 in December. It’s a great way to see how much value you’re actually getting out of your subscription and which genres you’re ignoring.
If you’re looking for a place to start right now, go with Neon White. It’s a small download, it runs at a buttery smooth 120Hz if your TV supports it, and it's the perfect pallet cleanser between the big cinematic adventures.
Actionable Next Steps:
Log into your PS5 today and claim the Essential titles—LEGO Horizon Adventures and Neon White are the priorities here. Then, head to the "Last Chance to Play" section in the PS Plus menu to ensure you aren't midway through a game that is scheduled to leave the service in the coming weeks.