PlayStation's coronavirus contribution: Stay home and play free 'Uncharted,' 'Journey' PS4 video games

Need some video game pursuits to keep you occupied during the stay-at-home measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus? Sony has a giveaway for PlayStation 4 players.

Starting Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, PS4 owners can download "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" and the game "Journey" for free. Once you download the games, you can keep them. But you must download the games by May 5.

"People all over the world are doing the right thing by staying home to help contain the spread of COVID-19," wrote Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan in a post on the PlayStation blog. "We are deeply grateful to everyone practicing physical distancing and take our responsibility as a home entertainment platform seriously, so we are asking our community to continue supporting the safe choice and the need to Play At Home."

The game maker's Play At Home initiative also includes a $10 million fund to support independent game developers, Ryan said. "Independent 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," he said.

The Uncharted games—"Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," and "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception"—are action-adventure games starring treasure-hunting hero Nathan Drake. Originally released between 2007 and 2011 for the PlayStation 3, each has been remastered for the PS4.

"Journey" is a single-player exploration game from thatgamecompany, in which the player navigates a nondescript cloaked character through a magical desert world. "The game's life-affirming message is timeless and perhaps more important now than ever before," Ryan said.

Sony is working with internet service providers in the U.S. and Europe to manage download traffic, so game downloads "may take a little longer," he said.

"During these days of physical distancing, fans have turned to gaming for moments of respite and enjoyment," he said. "At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are privileged to bring this much-needed entertainment. We know this is just one small step and we are thankful to be able to offer this support to our players, our communities and our partners."

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