PS5 and PS4: Sony announces a free multiplayer weekend without PS Plus

PS5 and PS4

For over a generation, the PS Plus subscription service has allowed countless PlayStation players to play their favorite games online and redeem a range of free games included in the subscription each month. To allow everyone to enjoy a free weekend, Sony has recently announced the Free Online Multiplayer Weekend on PS4 and PS5, a free event presented with lots of details on the PlayStation social channels.

Thanks to this new proposal made official a little while ago by PlayStation, all owners of PS4 and PS5 consoles will be able to play all their favorite multiplayer games completely for free. The new Free Online Multiplayer Weekend event will be active this weekend, and will start next Saturday 18 December at 12:01 and will end on Sunday 19 December at 23:59.

To promote this new initiative, PlayStation has Posted a post on Twitter featuring just some of the latest online titles available on PlayStation 4 and PS5 such as: Call of Duty Vanguard First Person Shooter, FIFA 22 football title and the evergreen GTA 5.

Dive into the online multiplayer modes of your favorite PS4 and PS5 games without a PlayStation Plus subscription during our Online Multiplayer Weekend from 18th December at 12:01 AM - Dec 19 11:59 PM local time. pic.twitter.com/2YuQgh3QPP

- PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) December 14, 2021



If you are not subscribed to the PS Plus service this is a great time to try the online modes of your favorite games. We remind you that this free weekend will start on December 18th and will end on December 19th.

If you are not yet subscribed to the PlayStation Plus service, you can also purchase the subscription on Amazon at the following addresses: PlayStation Plus 1 month, PlayStation Plus 3 months and PlayStatiom 12 months i.

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Is PS5 backward compatible? Yes, more than 4,000 PS4 games work on the next-gen console — here's what to know

The PS5 is largely backward compatible with PS4 games, with more than 4,000 available titles.

There are only about a half-dozen known PS4 games that are incompatible with the PS5.

There are some limitations; for example, the Share menu can't be displayed on the PS5 when playing a PS4 game.

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A new game console like the PlayStation 5 is a substantial investment, so ideally you can extend its value by continuing to play older PS4 games on it. If you are wondering if your existing library of PS4 games will work on your new PS5, you're in for some good news: It's a qualified 'yes.'

The PS5 is backward compatible with PS4, to an extent

An overwhelming majority of PS4 game titles will play on a PS5 console. That's about 4,000 games, so with rare exception, your existing game collection will play fine (though you should be sure your PS5 has all available updates installed before trying to play PS4 games). Sony also advises that you should verify the core game works properly on the PS5 before purchasing or installing any add-ons for the game. 

In fact, some PS4 games may see an overall improvement when played on the PS5. Select games can take advantage of the PS5's Game Boost feature, which allows the game to run at a higher frame rate. Games that run better on PS5 thanks to Game Boost include Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Crysis Remastered, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Rocket League, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and others. 

If you enjoy PlayStation VR, you'll be pleased to learn that PS VR titles are included in the list of compatible games. Playing VR games on a PS5 requires a PS VR headset, PlayStation Camera for PS4, and a PlayStation Camera adaptor, and the games perform best when you use a DualShock 4 controller. 

Specific PS4 on PS5 limitations

The list of PS4 games which are known to be incompatible with the PS5 is quite short. At this time, these are the only games to avoid:

Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One

TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2

Just Deal With It!

Robinson: The Journey

We Sing

Hitman Go: Definitive Edition

Shadwen

Even though most other games will run on the PS5, the gaming experience might not always be 100% seamless. Some features or functionalities that were available on the PS4 might not work when you play the game on the PS5. For example, the Share menu can't be displayed on the PS5 when playing a PS4 game. You can take screenshots by pressing the Create button on your DualSense controller, however. Likewise, some PS4 games can't record video at 3840 x 2160 even if you start recording at that setting — you will only get a resolution of 1920 x 1080. 

Note: PS5 backward compatibility is not extended to PS3, PS2, or PS1 games.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer