Friday, March 29, 2024

The best PlayStation 4 games you can play online without PlayStation Plus

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While PlayStation Plus is usually a requirement to play online multiplayer, there are notable exceptions to this rule. Most free-to-play games actually allow people to enjoy online multiplayer matches without needing to be an active PlayStation Plus subscriber. If you’re wondering which games fall into this category, we’ve created a list of some of the best online games you can play without PS Plus. Should you want to see the full list of free-to-play games offered on PS4, Sony has an entire section of its store dedicated to just that.

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Dauntless

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Sick of battle royale games? Dauntless brings the Monster Hunter experience directly to your PlayStation 4 free of charge. Battle monstrous Behemoths across the Shattered Isles alone or with friends and level up your character to take on even more fearsome beasts.

Free at PlayStation

Fortnite Competition

Apex Legends

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Respawn Entertainment dropped Apex Legends out of the blue and it’s quickly become a worthy competitor to Fortnite, proving you don’t need to spend millions of dollars on marketing to launch a hit. Master each character class or stick with your trusty main in this squad-based battle royale.

Free at PlayStation

Build and battle

Fortnite Battle Royale

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While Fortnite may be one of the most popular games to ever release—and certainly one of the most popular this year—it doesn’t require a PS Plus membership to play. You can jump into its newest season and get in on the craze for yourself.

Free at PlayStation

Dungeons & Dragons

Neverwinter

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Not a tabletop fan but still like the world of Dungeons & Dragons? Live out your dreams by picking up Neverwinter, an MMORPG based on the popular fantasy series. Delve into its fantastical world full of mythical creatures and threats without spending extra money on PS Plus.

Free at PlayStation

Battle of the gods

Smite

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Tired of just watching people stream this on Twitch? Team up in 5v5 matches as you duel it out with powerful gods. This MOBA from 2016 took the world by storm, and you can get in on the action yourself instead of watching from the sidelines. Best of all? It’s free to play.

Free at PlayStation

Super Smash Bros. lite

Brawlhalla

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Everyone wants to be the next Super Smash Bros. As impossible as that may be, there are a few fighting games out there that come close to capturing that experience, and one of them is Brawlhalla. Hop online and test your skills in ranked matches to see who can knock the other off of the fighting stage.

Free at PlayStation

Mech assault mayhem

Hawken

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Like Titanfall, you can pilot an imposing mech to wreak destruction on the battlefield in Hawken, a shooter from 2016. Who doesn’t want to live out their childhood fantasies of helming Voltron or the Megazord? You won’t get those exact mechs (darn licensing!) but you get the next best thing.

Free at PlayStation

Comic book legends

DC Universe Online

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We’re still not sure what’s going on with DC’s live-action film division at Warner Bros., but its video games are going strong. In DC Universe Online, you can play as some of the most iconic heroes and villains in history like Superman, Lex Luthor, and more in the massive online multiplayer game from 2013.

Free at PlayStation

Sci-fi goodness

Warframe

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If sci-fi is more your speed than fantasy, check out Warframe. Take up the role of an ancient warrior as you’re caught in the midst of a devastating war between hostile factions.

Free at PlayStation

Last man standing

H1Z1 Battle Royale

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Before there was Fortnite, there was H1Z1 (although this game by Daybreak came out in 2018). If you’re looking for a more grounded, gritty battle royale experience as opposed to what Fortnite offers, H1Z1 has you covered.

Free at PlayStation

Not your father’s Overwatch

Paladins: Champions of the Realm

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Not an Overwatch fan? Try out Paladins, another hero-shooter with vibrant graphics and characters made by the same studio that made Smite. Group up into teams and join one of two factions in this free-to-play title on the PS4.

Free at PlayStation

You can still play online

Some games you want to play might require a PS Plus membership, but if you don’t want to pay up, there is still a way to play online. Dauntless, what you’d get if you mixed Fortnite with Monster Hunter, is the newest free-to-play contender that gives the other games on this list a run for their money. You’ll also have a ton of most with Apex Legends. For Respawn’s first crack at a battle royale game, the studio did a surprisingly good job, especially considering that Apex Legends has unique character classes that can drastically affect how you play.

However, if battle royale isn’t your thing, try out Neverwinter for a Dungeons & Dragons experience. Or jump into Brawlhalla to get your Super Smash Bros. fix if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch. It’s not the perfect substitute, but it’s certainly good enough in its own right.

Prepare for battle!

PlayStation accessories you’ll love

Every one of these quality accessories is guaranteed to enhance your PlayStation experience.

EasySMX VIP002S RGB Gaming Headset

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$36 at Amazon

Good headsets tend to get expensive, but the EasySMX VIP002S headset gives you the best of both worlds: affordability and quality.

HyperX ChargePlay Duo

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$20 at Amazon

Charge up your controllers without taking up that precious USB space on your console. The HyperX ChargePlay Duo can charge two at once in two hours through an AC adapter.

PDP Bluetooth Media Remote

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$20 at Amazon

PlayStation is good for much more than gaming. When you want to browse the web or navigate your favorite apps, a DualShock 4 controller just doesn’t cut it.

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