PS Plus Essential games for October 2023 include The Callisto Protocol

Sony revealed on Wednesday the three monthly PlayStation Plus Essential games that subscribers will be able to claim at no additional cost in October 2023.

The new monthly games are The Callisto Protocol, Farming Simulator 22, and Weird West. Subscribers can start playing them from October 3, 2023, and will have until November 6, 2023, to add them to their libraries.

The monthly games are the only perk that offers free games in the basic Essential tier of PlayStation Plus, but they are also available for subscribers of the more expensive Extra and Premium tiers, who get a vast catalog of games and classics. Once claimed, the monthly games remain in PS Plus members' accounts forever, and can be played if the user has an active subscription.

PS Plus Essential games for October 2023

All three games this month are offered in PS4 and PS5 versions, so current-gen console owners will be able to enjoy them natively with all the bells and whistles this entails.

The Callisto Protocol

The Callisto Protocol is a claustrophobic survivor horror game touted as the spiritual successor of Dead Space. Released in December 2022 to mixed reviews, The Callisto Protocol was criticized for its wonky combat system. The rather cold reception of the game likely precipitated its addition to PS Plus less than a year after its launch.

You can read more about the game in our Callisto Protocol review. The game has received updates since release, and if you're into survival horror games, now's the perfect time to pick it up at no additional cost via PlayStation Plus.

Farming Simulator 22

Reviewed favorably when it launched in November 2021, Farming Simulator 22 offers quite an immersive farming experience, letting you take the reins of a variety of farming operations and featuring more than 400 machines and tools from real agricultural brands.

The addition of a seasonal cycle, new crops, and a map focused on forestry, makes for a very complete package, which you can also play in co-op mode with friends.

Weird West

Weird West is an isometric aRPG with heavy immersive sim elements, and this is no coincidence as it's made by the creators of the Dishonored series, a staple in the genre. The game and its title borrow a lot from the Weird West(ern) genre of books and movies, which combines American frontier stories with supernatural, sci-fi, and fantasy twists.

All PlayStation Plus subscribers also have a last chance to claim the September 2023 Essential games: Saints Row, Black Desert – Traveler Edition, and Generation Zero, which will remain up for grabs until October 2, 2023.

Last month's lineup was announced together with a price hike across all tiers of the PS Plus service for 12-month subscription plans, which came into effect on September 6, 2023.