If you have a PlayStation 4, Sony’s PlayStation Plus service is required to play multiplayer games online. A subscription costs $10 per month or $60 per year. PlayStation Plus also includes additional benefits, like free games every month and members-only discounts on some digital games.
What Is PlayStation Plus?
PlayStation Plus is Sony’s online gaming subscription service for the PlayStation 4. It’s required to play online multiplayer games on the PlayStation 4. Whether you’re playing a competitive multiplayer game with people you’ve never met or a co-operative game with a friend who lives a few blocks away, you’ll need PS Plus to do it.
Sony has also added some additional features to this service. Only PlayStation Plus members can upload their game saves, storing them online where they can be accessed on another console. PlayStation Plus members get some free games every month, and they also get access to some bonus sales on digital games.
PlayStation 4 vs. PlayStation 3 and Vita
On the PlayStation 4, Sony’s PS Plus works exactly like Xbox Live Gold on the Xbox One. It’s required for online multiplayer gaming.
However, if you have a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Plus is not required for online multiplayer gaming. You can play online games for free. PS Plus still gives you access to some free games and sales if you have a PS3 or Vita, but it’s much less critical than it is on a PS4.
You Need PlayStation Plus For Multiplayer Gaming (on the PS4)
If you want to play online multiplayer games on your PlayStation 4, you’ll need PlayStation Plus.
That’s just how it is. If you try to use the online multiplayer features within a game without subscribing first, you’ll see a message informing you you need PS Plus.PlayStation Plus isn’t required for playing single-player games, and it isn’t required when playing multiplayer games if everyone playing the game is sitting in front of the same console with a controller. It’s only required for online gaming.
This service also isn’t required for using other online features, including media apps like Netflix and YouTube, or the PS4’s web browser. You can use all these features even without a subscription.
Online Storage For Your Save Games
On the PlayStation 4, PS Plus also allows you to use online storage for your save games. Your PS4 automatically uploads your save games to Sony’s servers, and you can download that save data on another console—or the same console, if you’ve deleted the save games.
This ensures you always have a copy of your save games, even if your PlayStation 4 console dies and needs to be repaired or replaced. You’ll find this feature on the Settings > Application Saved Data Management screen. The yellow plus signs next to the “Saved Data in Online Storage” and “Auto-Upload” options means these features require PlayStation Plus.
How Do The Free Games Work?
Every month, Sony offers several free games to PS Plus subscribers—sometimes known as “Instant Game Collection” games. During the month these games are available, you can choose to “buy” them for free on the PlayStation 4. You can then download the game for free. You get to keep it, too—you can download and play it a year from the day you “purchase” it, if you’re a subscriber.
If you don’t redeem the game while it’s free for a month,…
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