It depends on where you play and what kind of game you play. On a PC or a phone you almost never need a platform subscription. On PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch you usually do, but only for paid multiplayer games that you play with other people over the internet.
Here is the pattern that holds on all three consoles: free-to-play games, single-player games and games you play on the same screen as a friend do not need a subscription. The rule for the console makers is about paid online multiplayer.
Online multiplayer on PS5 and PS4 needs a PlayStation Plus membership. Sony says most free-to-play games, such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty Warzone, do not require one. Sony sometimes runs short free-multiplayer weekends, but you should not plan around them.
Online console multiplayer comes with Game Pass, starting at the entry tier (called Essential). Microsoft states that free-to-play games can be played online on console at no charge for every player.
Nintendo says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for online play in many of its own and third-party games, including Mario Kart World, Splatoon 3 and Nintendo Switch Sports. Some games, such as the free-to-play Fortnite, can be played online without it. Because it is "some games", check the individual game page.
Playing online on a PC does not need a platform subscription. Steam multiplayer is free once you own the game. A few games run their own subscription (some online worlds charge a monthly fee), but that is the game's price, not a platform rule. PC Game Pass exists, but it is a game catalogue, not a ticket to go online.
Phones and tablets do not charge for online play. Games are usually free to download and make money from in-game purchases or ads. Some offer an optional pass inside the game, which is never required to connect.
A free-to-play game costs nothing to start and earns money from extras like cosmetics or a battle pass. On consoles that usually includes the full online mode: matches, friends and voice chat. What you may still pay for is inside the game. That is a separate payment from the platform subscription, and neither one requires the other.
Online play is only one part of what the services sell. Depending on the tier you can also get:
| Extra | What it means |
|---|---|
| Game library | A rotating catalogue you can play while subscribed. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, higher Game Pass tiers and the Switch Online Expansion Pack offer more than the basic tier. |
| Monthly games | A few games added each month, playable while you stay a member (PlayStation Plus lists this on every tier). |
| Cloud saves | Your progress is backed up so you can move to a new console. Nintendo notes you lose access to backups if the membership ends, and can get them back by renewing within a set window. |
| Classic games | Retro libraries, such as NES and SNES on Switch Online, with more systems and GameCube on Switch 2 in the Expansion Pack tier. |
| Cloud streaming | Play games streamed over the internet. Game Pass tiers include cloud gaming hours, and PlayStation Plus Premium includes cloud streaming. |
| Day-one games | New releases on launch day. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass list this. |
Whether those extras are worth paying for is a separate question. Our guide on game subscription break-even helps with that.