Sony Rewards PS4 Owners With Free Online Multiplayer Over The Weekend

A police officer handcuffs a criminal in a scene from “Battlefield Hardline.” Electronic Arts

Playing PS3 games online was free, unlike the Xbox 360, which charged a premium monthly membership fee for access to the online multiplayer component. However, Sony adopted Microsoft's paid subscription model for multiplayer content with the PS4, much to the chagrin of console owners. This discontent was exacerbated by the lack of compelling games on the console. Fortunately, both problems seem to have been solved in one fell swoop for PSN users.

The official PlayStation Blog has announced that PS4 users will get free access to PSN's multiplayer capability without paying a single penny, even as the multiplayer FPS "Battlefield: Hardline" hits the console this week. However, this promotional offer is only limited to this weekend. Between this Friday, March 20, at 12 a.m. Pacific Time, and following through Sunday, March 22, at 12 p.m., PS4 users will be able to play their favourite games online without the need for a PlayStation Plus subscription.

VG247 reports that access to this promotion doesn't require signing up for anything. Just power up the PS4 like always during the weekend and play multiplayer games without a PS Plus subscription. Needless to say, this is only relevant for PS4 users who haven't already subscribed to PS Plus; PS3 owners shouldn't pay heed. Although they don't get any notable new video game releases, at least the multiplayer component for existing titles is free.

Interestingly, this promotional free multiplayer weekend offer conveniently coincides with the launch of Electronic Arts' highly anticipated multiplayer-centric FPS "Battlefield: Hardline." Gamespot reports that the game has already been released in the North American territories as of March 17, whereas the UK and the rest of Europe is scheduled to receive it on March 20 and March 19, respectively.

U.S. PSN users who have purchased the digital version have plenty of time to download the 45 GB copy of the game until the weekend. However, gamers who have pre-ordered the digital copy of the game in the UK and the rest of Europe should make good use of the pre-load feature to ensure that they don't waste precious time downloading the game, as confirmed by gamers on the official Battlefield forums. In the meantime, it would be a great idea to check out the "Battlefield: Hardline" live action trailer embedded below.

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