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Resident Evil Village, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Lead Stacked PS Plus Games for January

The Exit 8, Darkest Dungeon II and Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game will also make their way to PS Plus.

It’s the start of a new year, and Sony is coming out swinging with new games for the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Resident Evil Village and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth are just two of the big games subscribers will be able to play later this month. 

PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month for the Essential tier, the plans give subscribers access to monthly games and rewards, but it’s the Extra ($15 a month) and Premium ($18 a month) that allow access to the PlayStation Plus game catalog.

Here are the games PS Plus subscribers can play starting on Jan. 20. You can also check out the games Sony added to the PS Plus Game Catalog in November, including Skate Story.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Resident Evil Village (PS5, PS4)

Resident Evil Village is the eighth mainline game in the survival horror franchise, and the timing of its addition to the PS Plus catalog is not random. The ninth game, Resident Evil Requiem, is set to release in February. In Village, players once again step into the role of Ethan Winters, whose seemingly happy ending after the events of Resident Evil 7 ended up being a nightmare. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS5, PS4)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the sequel to 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which is a spinoff of the Yakuza franchise focusing on a new hero, Ichiban Kasuga. Infinite Wealth takes place in Honolulu City, where Ichiban is in search of his birth mother. He finds out that he’s been deceived and is helped by Yakuza’s longtime protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. The heroes will fight on the streets of Honolulu and Tokyo’s Kamurocho district in this turn-based RPG, which is filled with a wealth of side activities such as darts, golfing and, as always, karaoke. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (PS5, PS4)

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game takes a different approach to off-road driving. Instead of just getting vehicles dirty while slipping in the mud, players have to do some science stuff. You can play solo or with others as you explore deserts, forests and mountains packed with hidden secrets and long forgotten ruins. Lead research missions across rough terrain using a range of all-terrain vehicles, relying on high-tech tools to get past natural obstacles. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

 A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead (PS5)

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is an original story set in the film franchise’s post-apocalyptic world, where making a sound is deadly. Alex Taylor is a survivor navigating abandoned towns and dangerous interiors while trying to stay silent, manage limited resources and survive deadly creatures that hunt by sound. Players will have to use stealth to be quiet and hide while avoiding making any noise. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

Darkest Dungeon II (PS5, PS4)

In Darkest Dungeon II, players create a party, ride a stagecoach and try to save the world from evil. Like its predecessor, the game is a roguelike, meaning you will constantly see changing locations of interest and roadblocks on the journey. The party is made up of heroes with their own flaws. It’s up to the player to not only make tactical decisions in battle, but also keep the party members’ stress in check as they deal with nightmarish monsters. If it all becomes too much for a character, they can cause strife among the team and cause the journey to end in failure. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

The Exit 8 (PS5, PS4)

The Exit 8 is one of the notable games in a new video game subgenre of first-person anomaly spotting games. Players walk through a Japanese underground passageway and have to look for anomalies, which are things that are out of place, such as open doors, fluorescent lights off, fake signs or a giant man walking right to you. If you spot one, turn around and run away, which will bring you right back to the same passageway, which may or may not be safe. 

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

Art of Rally (PS5, PS4)

There’s a second racing game that arrived on PS Plus in January, though it’s a bit unique. Art of Rally is a clean, stylish take on classic rally racing from the creator of Absolute Drift. The game lets you race vintage cars from the 1960s through the 1980s in a distinctive top-down view. You’ll drive across 91 stages spanning Finland, Sardinia, Norway, Japan, Germany, Kenya and Indonesia. A Career mode sits alongside daily and weekly challenges for leaderboard chasers. With accessible assists and tougher driving modes, the game works for newcomers and veterans alike, rewarding techniques like countersteering, handbrake turns, left-foot braking and mastery of the Scandinavian flick.

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

A Little to the Left (PS5, PS4)

A Little to the Left is a cozy puzzle game where you sort, stack and organize everyday objects into just the right place while a mischievous cat watches, and sometimes undoes your progress. With intuitive drag-and-drop controls and charming illustrations, each level feels satisfying and playful. The game includes over 100 logical puzzles and a Daily Tidy Delivery that gives you a new challenge each day with unique variations, plus seasonal puzzles you can revisit anytime. Perfect for relaxed play, it rewards observation and creativity as you tidy cluttered shelves, arrange eggs or line up clock hands in surprisingly thoughtful ways.  

Only PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

Ridge Racer (PS5, PS4)

«It’s Riiiidge Racer!» The racing game from the original PlayStation console is making its way to the PS Plus catalog. This retro game includes the unique vehicles and original racing modes: Battle Mode and Time Trial Mode. What’s added with this version are enhanced visuals, the option to rewind while playing, the ability to quick-save and custom video filters. 

Only PS Plus Premium subscribers can play this game in January.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service and a rundown of PS Plus Extra and Premium games added in December. You can also check out the latest and upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass.

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Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

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Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

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Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know

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