Paid PS+ Subscription Required to Play Online on PS4

I mean, it was all going so well, so there had to be a catch somewhere, right? It was too good to be true, otherwise.

Happily enough, the catch isn’t even that big of a catch- yes, you will require PS+ to play online multiplayer on the PS4, but considering just how good a deal PS+ already is (you’d make back the value of the money spent on buying an annual subscription within the first month itself), it’s hard to hold it against the system too much.

So fine, yes, on a principled stance, it’s wrong, but functionally it doesn’t matter. Sony’s fine print for the PS4 notes “PS4 multiplayer online access requires PSN account & PS Plus subscription,” which might come as a bummer to some, but is on the whole okay.

For those wondering how this places PS+ against XBL Gold, a Playstation Plus membership costs $18 for three months, or $50 for the full year. You get free games and discounts, as well as specific OS enhancements, and one membership covers all your Playstation family systems. Xbox Live Gold, which is required for online multiplayer gaming on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, costs $24.99 for three months and $59.99 for 12 months; as Microsoft announced earlier today, it too will now be giving free games to members.

Make sure to stay tuned to GamingBolt for further E3 coverage.