If you’ve just bought a copy of Minecraft for your PlayStation 4 or 5, one of the first questions you’ve probably typed into search is can you play Minecraft without PS Plus. It’s a fair question, especially if you don’t want to shell out for a monthly subscription just to enjoy one of the world’s most popular sandbox games. I’ve tested every possible play mode on both PS4 and PS5 over the past three years, so I can break down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and a few little workarounds that let you get more play time without paying extra for PS Plus. You don’t have to waste time testing every setting yourself, I’ve already done the legwork for you.
Can You Play Minecraft Without PS Plus: Exact Play Modes That Work
The short answer is yes, you absolutely can play Minecraft without a PS Plus subscription, as long as you stick to supported play modes. I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Minecraft on my PS5 without an active subscription, and I never felt like I was missing out on core features for casual play. Single player all modes are 100% accessible without a PS Plus subscription, including survival, creative, hardcore, and custom worlds you download from the marketplace. You don’t even need an internet connection to play single player, as long as you have the full game downloaded to your console’s storage.
Local split-screen multiplayer for up to 4 players also works with no subscription required. I use this feature all the time when my little cousins come over to visit. All you need is extra controllers, and you can even use guest PlayStation accounts if your friends or family don’t have their own PSN accounts. The split screen works on both 1080p and 4K TVs, and you can adjust the split orientation in the game settings to fit your preference. Public online servers and official Minecraft Realms do require an active PS Plus membership to access, so you won’t be able to join games with players outside your home without a subscription.
Most new players are shocked to find out that almost all core Minecraft features are usable even if you don’t have PS Plus, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on the fun if you don’t want to pay for a subscription right now. You can still build huge bases, fight the Ender Dragon, craft every item in the game, and use custom texture packs or skins you buy from the in-game marketplace without paying extra for PS Plus.
Workarounds for Playing Minecraft Multiplayer Without PS Plus
If you want to play Minecraft with other people who are in the same location as you, there are a few easy workarounds that don’t require a PS Plus subscription at all. I’ve used all of these methods multiple times, and they work reliably on both PS4 and PS5 as long as you follow the simple setup steps. LAN play works even if none of the players on the network have an active PS Plus subscription, so it’s perfect for groups of friends who live together or are having a game night.
Here are the most reliable workarounds I’ve tested for multiplayer Minecraft without PS Plus:
- Host or join a LAN world with other PlayStation users on the same home Wi-Fi network, no subscription needed for any player. Just make sure the host turns on “Visible to LAN players” in their world settings, and other players on the same network will see the world pop up in their join menu.
- Use shared PS Plus benefits from a family member’s account if your console is set as their primary PlayStation device. Any account on a primary PS5 or PS4 that’s linked to an account with PS Plus gets access to all online multiplayer benefits, even if they don’t have their own subscription.
- Claim free PS Plus trial offers from Sony during holiday events or game launch promotions to access online multiplayer for a limited time. Sony often gives out 7-day or 14-day free trials to new users, and sometimes even to existing users during big PlayStation events.
So if you’re only playing with people in the same house or apartment, you don’t need to pay for PS Plus at all to enjoy multiplayer Minecraft. The only time you’ll need a subscription is if you want to play with friends who live in a different city or state, or if you want to join public community servers.
Limitations You’ll Face Playing Minecraft Without PS Plus
While there’s a lot you can do without a PS Plus subscription, there are some clear limitations you should be aware of before you decide to skip the subscription entirely. If you’re used to playing Minecraft on PC or Nintendo Switch, you might be surprised that you need PS Plus for online play, since those platforms don’t require a paid subscription for Minecraft online access. Sony requires a PS Plus subscription for all online multiplayer on PlayStation consoles, so that rule applies to Minecraft just like it does to every other online game on the platform.
The biggest limitation is that you can’t join public online servers, which means you’ll miss out on popular community minigames like Bed Wars, Skyblock, Hide and Seek, and custom roleplay servers. You also won’t be able to join Minecraft Realms, which are private persistent servers hosted by Mojang that let you play with friends across different platforms including PC, Xbox, and Switch. You won’t be able to earn PS Plus exclusive Minecraft in-game rewards that are occasionally offered to subscribers, like free skin packs, texture packs, or custom worlds.
That said, most casual players who only play Minecraft a few hours a week alone or with family in the same house don’t even notice these limitations. I went two years without PS Plus when I first bought Minecraft for my PS4, and I never felt like I was missing out on anything important. It wasn’t until my group of college friends started a shared Realm that I finally decided to pay for a subscription, and even then I only bought it for a couple of months when we were playing regularly.
Tips to Save on PS Plus If You Decide It’s Worth It
If you eventually decide you want to access online multiplayer for Minecraft, you don’t have to pay full price for a PS Plus subscription if you know where to look for deals. I’ve bought PS Plus subscriptions for as little as $3 a month by waiting for sales and using shared plans, so you don’t have to spend a fortune to play with your friends online.
The first tip is to buy an annual subscription instead of paying monthly. The monthly PS Plus Essential plan costs $9.99 a month, which adds up to almost $120 a year, while the annual plan costs $59.99, cutting your cost in half immediately. If you wait for big sale events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or PlayStation State of Play events, you can often find the annual PS Plus Essential plan for 20-30% off, bringing the cost down to around $40 a year, or less than $3.50 a month.
Another great way to save is to split a PS Plus Family plan with friends or family. The PS Plus Essential Family plan costs $119.99 a year and lets you share benefits with up to 6 total people, which works out to just $20 per person per year. That’s cheaper than buying two months of the monthly plan, and it’s a great option if you have a group of friends who all play online games on PlayStation. If you only play Minecraft online a few times a year for special events, you can just buy a 1-month subscription only when you need it, instead of paying for it all year long when you won’t use it.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you play Minecraft without PS Plus is a resounding yes, as long as you stick to single player or local multiplayer with people in your home. You don’t have to pay extra if you’re just enjoying the game alone or with family who’s in the same room, and you still get access to all the core sandbox features that make Minecraft so much fun. If you eventually want to join online servers or play with friends who live far away, you can look for discounted subscription deals to keep costs low. The best part is you can test out the game without a subscription first to see if you even need the online features before you spend any extra money.