Sony wants you to play games and use your PS4. But they also want everyone under self-isolation orders or quarantine to stay inside and not catch COVID-19. To that end, they’ve launched the “Play at Home” initiative, geared toward keeping gamers safe.
From the PlayStation blog:
As a thank you to all who are doing their part to lessen the impact of this pandemic, Sony Interactive Entertainment is pleased to announce the Play At Home initiative.
Play At Home has two components: first, providing free games to help keep the PlayStation community entertained at home; and finally, establishing a fund to help smaller independent game studios who may be experiencing financial difficulties continue building great experiences for all gamers.
The post goes on to say PlayStation is “offering Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey available for free* for a limited time through digital downloads from April 15 at 8pm PDT through May 5, 2020 at 8pm PDT.” That’s 5pm EDT. Once the games are redeemed, players own them.
Nathan Drake is a treasure-hunting adventure game that’s been fully remastered for the PS4. Sony describes Journey as “a beautiful, celebrated adventure that is as moving as it is mysterious,” and says its “life-affirming message is timeless, and perhaps more important now than ever before.”
Additionally, Sony Interactive Entertainment is pledging $10 million in “Creative Funding” for independent game development partners, writing that those “developers are vital to the heart and soul of the gaming community and we understand the hardships and financial struggles that many smaller gaming studios are facing.”
The first free games are available through May 5th, so get yours soon at playstation.com.