The Best PS4 Games Coming In January 2024

As time goes by, the length of time remaining for the PS4 becomes a more and more pressing issue. How much longer will Sony support the PlayStation 4? When will that damning announcement in which Sony confirms the end of PS4 support finally come?

Thankfully, for now, Sony seems to be intent on continuing to support the PlayStation 4, and, for that matter, third-party studios are still releasing games for it as well, which is good news for anyone who still hasn’t made the PS5 leap.

With that said, the number of games available for the PS4 is dwindling somewhat, and while many games still cross the generational bridge, it is true that more and more games are heading exclusively to the land of the PS5.

If you’re still a diehard PS4 gamer, you’ll find that there are a few games waiting for you in January 2024, but the fact that this is traditionally a quieter month, combined with the fading technological potential of the PS4, mean that you’ve got slightly slim pickings this month.

Still, “slim” is not “nothing”, so let’s take a look at the best PS4 games gracing Sony’s last-generation console in January 2024.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (January 18th)

• Genre: Action-Adventure

Hopefully, the development of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown indicates that Ubisoft hasn’t forgotten about the Sands of Time remake, which now appears to be languishing in something resembling development hell.

Thankfully, this side-scrolling platformer looks like it’ll deliver a healthy dose of classic Prince of Persia gameplay, shot through with a story that looks epic and involving enough to augment the platforming in a fun way.

You are Sargon, and you must explore an ancient city in order to find out what’s happened to the missing Prince Ghassan, who’s been kidnapped by a nefarious force.

While there, you must reckon with hazards and traps galore, as well as giant beasts that would rather you didn’t rescue the Prince for some reason. What does it all mean? You’ll have to play to find out.

Since this is a Metroidvania platformer, you will, of course, have access to movement abilities like an air dash, and you’ll need them to solve the puzzles The Lost Crown will throw at you over the course of its running time.

A demo will become available for this one prior to release, so you’ll be able to decide whether you like it or not before you put your money down.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (January 25th)

• Genre: Adventure

In 2008, Capcom released Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, the continuation of the Ace Attorney series. While Phoenix Wright did make a return in this game, he wasn’t the protagonist; that honour went to the titular Apollo Justice, a young hotshot out to prove himself in the legal world.

Over the course of that game, as well as 3DS followups Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, Apollo found himself entangled in a story that would come to encompass his very origins, as well as the legal fate of Phoenix and a young apprentice called Athena Cykes.

If you love the melodramatic courtroom antics of the Ace Attorney series, you’ll find lots to love here, including (but by no means limited to) the instantly iconic Prosecutor Simon Blackquill in Dual Destinies, perhaps one of the most intimidating foes you’ve faced up to this point.

This trilogy also contains the DLC episodes from the 3DS titles in the series, so if you didn’t experience those the first time around or if you’ve never played the Apollo Justice trilogy before, this will be the ideal way to experience these iconoclastic adventures.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (January 26th)

• Genre: Action

The Like a Dragon series – previously known as Yakuza in the West – was arguably flagging before the release of 2020’s revitalising Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was a perfectly adequate entry in the franchise, but it didn’t do anywhere near enough to innovate or convince people that the series needed to continue.

A change was needed, and the injection of life brought by new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, as well as a shift from action-based combat to turn-based RPG-style fighting, proved to be exactly the change the series was desperate for.

Infinite Wealth is the direct sequel to that game, so it’ll once again eschew the action combat adopted by side story Like a Dragon Gaiden, returning instead to Ichiban’s Dragon Quest-inflected fantasies of turn-based heroism.

The story this time around promises to be darker and more emotional, as Kazuma Kiryu finds himself battling a potentially fatal illness, causing him to fall back on his friends (including Ichiban) for help and support.

Ichiban’s got his own problems, though; he’s out to find his mother in Hawaii, setting up a story that’ll doubtless be just as compelling and ridiculous as these games usually are.

Rugby 24 (January 30th)

• Genre: Sports

It stands to reason that if you’re not a fan of rugby, you probably won’t be too bothered about the release of Rugby 24, but if you’re a fan, this will be one of the essential releases of the year.

Developer Big Ant (which is also responsible for most of the licensed cricketing games you’re likely to come across) has already delayed the game once, which is a touch worrying, but hey, at least that means it won’t be rushed, right?

Rugby 24 will, according to Big Ant, represent “the most authentic and complete rugby game to date”, and its new release date of the day of commencement for the Six Nations Tournament feels very appropriate indeed.

The game will feature over 130 national teams, as well as licensed championships, multiplayer modes galore, and an in-depth Career mode in which you must take a player to glory in the rugby world.

The devs are also promising “deep gameplay that faithfully recreates the sport” of rugby, so if you’re looking for an accurate rugby sim with all the appropriate licences, this looks to be the game for you.