29 Free Games On PlayStation Without PS Plus

Key Takeaways

• Play popular online games like Asphalt Legends Unite and Valorant for free without PlayStation Plus.
• Enjoy a variety of genres, from battle royales to MMORPGs, for hours of fun gameplay with friends.
• Experience quality games like Warframe and Dauntless without spending a penny on costly subscriptions.

It’s no secret that console makers love to make money, and Sony’s PlayStation is one of the biggest culprits. They charge a fee for you to access their online services — called PlayStation Plus — which range from $60 to $120 per year depending upon the tier you choose. Not everyone can shell out this kind of cash, which is why they look to play online games that don’t require this service at all.

You might be surprised by how many popular games are available to play without paying Sony a single dollar. You can easily sink hundreds of hours into these excellent games either alone or with friends and never have to worry about renewing your membership on time.

Updated on November 22, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard: It can be hard to find something new to play with your friends without having to pay an upfront fee, so we’ve decided to update this list to include even more multiplayer games you can access without a subscription to PlayStation Plus.

30 Multiversus

If you’ve ever wanted to know if Arya Stark could take on LeBron James in a fight, Multiversus is the game for you. Heavily inspired by Super Smash Bros., this free-to-play brawler brings a diverse cast of Warner Bros. characters together to duke it out in one-on-one or team battles. Each fighter feels distinct, and their personalities shine through their attacks and dialogue.

Like other free-to-play titles, Multiversus has a battle pass that will encourage you to spend more time with the game to unlock new cosmetics or collect one of the four in-game currencies. If you enjoy platform fighters, Multiversus is one of the best in the genre and continues to receive updates with new characters, though we’re still waiting for them to add Magic Mike and the tornado from Twister.

29 Asphalt Legends Unite

There have always been plenty of shooters and party games you could play online with your friends, but recently, a surge of excellent racing titles like Asphalt Legends Unite offer something new and provide a refreshing change of scenery to the free-to-play landscape. Instead of competing against almost a hundred other players for a chance at victory in a battle royale, you can burn rubber against seven other racers to determine who is the fastest.

It’s worth downloading Asphalt Legends Unite for both its online and offline modes. It’s a blast to compete with other players online, but the game also includes a local co-op mode that allows you to play with up to three friends to determine who is the Vin Diesel of the group. The game looks gorgeous, and each race is full of excitement, easily making Asphalt Legends Unite an essential game for anyone with a need for speed.

28 Valorant

Valorant launched in 2020 and quickly became one of the biggest first-person shooters on the PC. Developed by Riot Games, the team behind League of Legends, the popular hero shooter took four years to reach home consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation, but the wait was more than worth it despite the lack of cross-play between consoles and computers.

Over the last four years, Valorant has been consistently updated with new Agents to master and other quality-of-life features that make the console versions feel gigantic when it comes to content to explore. If you like games like Overwatch and Marvel Rivals, you should certainly check out Valorant for some adrenaline-pumping 5v5 action.

27 The First Descendant

If you’ve spent enough time with Destiny or Warframe and need something new to drop into with some friends, The First Descendant is a new third-person looter shooter that shares many qualities with those games while also having an identity of its own. You and three friends can work together to progress through the story, explore the lush world, or just goof around without paying a penny.

The First Descendant has amazing visuals and sound design that instantly creates an immersive atmosphere that’s easy to get lost in. With a large variety of Descendants to choose from (unique characters with special powers and abilities), there is something for everyone here, whether you prefer to get up close and personal with enemies or stay back to support your team. It’s not the first game you might think of when looking for something new to play, but it’s worth checking out.

26 Honkai: Star Rail

From the same team that developed Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail features similar gameplay elements while bringing enough new content to the table to allow it to distinguish itself. Inspired by the sci-fi and steampunk genres, the biggest difference between the two games is that Honkai: Star Rail features turn-based combat and focuses more on single-player action than multiplayer.

Unlike Genshin, you can’t really play alongside anyone else in Honkai: Star Rail. Instead, you can borrow one of your friend’s Support Characters to join you on your adventure. The game requires an online connection at all times, but fortunately, you don’t need to worry about paying any fees to access this underrated title.

25 Roblox

Roblox is easily one of the most popular games on the planet, and despite its influence, it took a long time before it was finally available on PlayStation. As of October 3, 2023, the hit game has officially launched on PlayStation 4 and 5, allowing anyone to access Roblox on their consoles free of charge.

Like Rec Room or Dreams, Roblox is a platform where players can create whatever their imaginations can dream of. From epic adventures on the high seas to social games replicating TV shows like Survivor, Roblox makes anything feel possible. There is an in-game currency for gear for your avatar, but you don’t need to spend anything to dive into Roblox to see what the commotion is about.

24 The Finals

It’s difficult for a new multiplayer shooter to make an impact with so many other games on the market, but The Finals has stood out for its playful atmosphere and excellent gameplay. With a variety of modes to choose from, you and up to two friends can go head-to-head against other teams to claim victory.

The dynamic elements of The Finals are some of its best features, including the destructible environments and commentary from the game’s hosts. If you’re looking for something new to play with some friends, The Finals is an excellent choice that can easily keep you busy for hours at a time.

23 Tower Of Fantasy

Tower of Fantasy is one of the newest games to launch on PlayStation, having become available on the console in August 2023, and if you enjoy open-world games like Genshin Impact, it might be worth looking into. The game has been available on mobile devices since 2022, but if you prefer to play games on the big screen, the PlayStation version is the best way to experience it.

There is so much to do in this action-based sci-fi adventure, you can easily spend dozens of hours exploring the planet of Aida before feeling a drop of boredom. Whether you want to visit Tower of Fantasy’s giant social hubs with a party of friends or explore the world to uncover new secrets, the game provides an engaging and thrilling ecosystem of activities that continue to expand as it becomes more popular.

22 World Of Warships: Legends

One of the most compelling reasons to download World of Warships: Legends on your PlayStation is that there really isn’t anything else like it on the console – especially for free. Naval-based combat might not be for everyone, but you might be surprised by how fun it is to take down enemy ships by using new strategies and maneuvers.

There are a plethora of factors that go into each match, but even at a slower pace than games like Call of Duty or Battlefield, you can expect a single battle to last anywhere from nine to 15 minutes. Of course, if you have eight other friends who also want to live life out on the sea, you can squad together for tense 9v9 matches against other players.

21 KartRider: Drift

There are plenty of battle royales and brawlers that you can play on PlayStation for free, but sometimes you just want to put down your weapons to feel the virtual wind on your skin. KartRider: Drift is a free-to-play arcade racer that allows you to compete against seven other people online in the traditional Speed Mode or the chaotic Item Mode.

For a free game, KartRider: Drift gives you a ton of freedom to customize your vehicle and character without spending any money. Constant updates keep it from ever feeling stale, as new tracks, cosmetics, and seasonal content continue to fill the virtual store with even more goodies for you to collect. KartRider: Drift also features crossplay, so you can play against any of your friends who have it on Switch, Xbox, PC, or mobile.

20 Neverwinter

Neverwinter is an MMORPG that takes a lot of inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. While it already contains an incredibly compelling story to play through with friends, it also allows other players to create and share their own quests and storylines that make it impossible to run out of things to do.

You can choose between one of eight classes, like Ranger or Warlock, and play with four other characters as you try to save Neverwinter from chaos. The combat system is flawless and requires some strategy as you face off against heroes and villains across the Forgotten Realms.

19 Super Animal Royale

There are so many battle royale games that feature similar visual styles and gameplay it becomes hard to tell some of them apart. Super Animal Royale mixes things up with cuter aesthetics and characters, but it’s just as fun to play as other titles like Apex Legends and Fortnite.

Super Animal Royale is an isometric take on the battle royale genre that pits 64 adorable foxes, cats, bears, and more against each other. As you run around the abandoned safari park, you can collect weapons to take down your enemies, ride on a giant emu to quickly travel across the map, and attack anything in your path.

18 Brawlhalla

If you’re looking to play an online fighter with a wide array of characters and stages, Brawlhalla might be what you need. It includes over fifty playable Legends that use scythes, swords, and plenty of other weapons to fight each other. It launched with original characters, but over time familiar faces from Street Fighter, the WWE, and more have joined the roster.

Like Super Smash Bros., you fight on a two-dimensional stage and must knock your opponents off of it to taste sweet victory. After launching in 2017, Brawlhalla has continued to receive updates and patches to keep it in the zeitgeist and has reported more than 80 million players as of early 2022.

17 Splitgate

Splitgate felt like it appeared out of nowhere when its beta launched in 2021, and it quickly became one of the most popular games of the year despite frequent server issues. The developers weren’t expecting their shooter that blends elements of Halo and Portal to blow up like it did and had to constantly increase their server capacity to meet demands.

The developers were so overwhelmed by the success of Splitgate that they have already announced that they will no longer be updating it as they work on its sequel from the ground up. It’s still worth checking out Splitgate to get a taste of what’s next, and its mind-bending gameplay is so fun it’s hard to put down.

16 Rogue Company

Rogue Company is a third-person shooter with various PvP modes to play. The game features over twenty playable heroes – known as Rogues – that possess unique and fun abilities. They all have their own perks and load-outs, but you’ll need to earn some in-game currency to unlock them all.

If you need something new to play either alone or with a group of friends, it’s worth checking out Rogue Company. It’s got a great cast of characters and surprisingly fun gunplay. It might not be a game you play forever, but it’s still a blast to hop into from time to time.

15 Sky: Children Of The Light

Sky: Children of the Light was developed by the same team that created Flower and Journey, and it focuses on the social elements of online multiplayer games more than riveting gameplay or mind-blowing graphics. Like in Journey, Sky is most enjoyable when shared with a friend or sometimes someone you’ve never even met before.

Originally developed for iOS before being ported to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, Sky is a vibes game that encourages you to embrace the unknown and explore each realm at whichever pace you like. It might not be for everyone, but Sky: Children of the Light offers an online experience unlike anything else available.

14 Smite

Smite is free-to-play and throws you into an online multiplayer battle arena. You can play as one of many gods and goddesses and use their powerful abilities to defeat other players. Each character has powerful attacks and abilities and must work alongside their teams to win any of Smite’s game modes.

It can be incredibly overwhelming at first to try and find the right character, but it is all part of the fun, and each one has something to offer. If you are looking for a game that requires some strategy and hundreds of hours of replayability, Smite can fill that void without a single transaction.

13 Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

If you want to take a break from shooting or fighting other players online, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is an excellent deck-building strategy game for both longtime fans of the series and curious newcomers. Even if you’ve never played a digital card game before, the tutorials explain each mechanic thoroughly without feeling overwhelming.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel lets you build your own deck or choose a pre-made one from the glossary if you’re feeling unsure about which strategies and cards you want to use. There are hundreds of cards to collect, and hopping into a match against another player doesn’t take long. It’s a fantastic and free alternative to other deck-builders like Slay the Spire.

12 Fall Guys

When Fall Guys initially launched in 2020, it required you to subscribe to PlayStation Plus to play it. It’s an online multiplayer game that pits up to sixty players against each other in a variety of obstacle courses, events, and other gameshow-inspired activities.

In early 2022, however, the developers decided to transition Fall Guys into a free-to-play game, thus eliminating the need for a subscription. This was a wise decision as the player count rose instantly and helped bring it back into the spotlight. It’s a hilarious spin on the battle royale genre full of different games to play and cool costumes to collect.

11 Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG that focuses on fantasy elements and contains a plethora of characters to unlock and control. It uses gacha mechanics to determine which heroes you get, but you can easily just spend your time getting lost in its gorgeous world.

Its aesthetic may be inspired by Breath of the Wild, but Genshin Impact also stands out for its compelling combat system and narrative. The amount of content is stunning, and you can easily get through it all by earning in-game currency to unlock new characters.