According to the company, gamers will now need to pay for PS+ in order to play online, in a move similar to Xbox Live’s Gold system. According to the company, the same bonuses that PS+ offered will be available, with a free game given out every month, but now this service is compulsory for anyone wanting to use the console to play with others.
On the positive side, the PS4 will have no restrictions on used games. According to the official announcement, gamers will be able to lend their titles to friends, trade them in at stores and buy games used, all without having to go through a paywall. From the sounds of things, it’s the same system that was used in the previous console generation.
Finally, Sony announced that the PS4 will fully support offline play. According to the company, the PS4 won’t ever need to check in with the internet, forgoing a “24 hour” lockout system. It’s clear that Sony is trying to emphasise the edge that this gives them over the Xbox One, which recently announced that it will allow restrictions of used games.