Free games, sorted by screen
Each platform page ranks the free games available there in the UK and explains whether you need a paid subscription to play them online.
Free PC games
PC is the easiest place to play free games: no console subscription, no paywall on online play, and the biggest shelf of free-to-play titles. The catch is admin. Your games end up spread across several launchers and publisher accounts, each with its own shop and its own saved card. This page lists the free games on our list that are available on PC in the UK, and the settings worth checking before anyone presses download.
Free PS5 games
A PS5 can be a very cheap console to run if you stick to free-to-play games. Sony's own PS Plus FAQ says most free-to-play games don't need a membership for online play, and the PlayStation Store has a dedicated free-to-play section. Below: the free games on our list that are on PS5 in the UK, what PS Plus does and doesn't change, and the family settings worth switching on first.
Free Xbox games
Since 2021, Xbox has let everyone play free-to-play games online without a paid membership, and Microsoft's UK free-to-play page still says so today. That makes an Xbox Series X|S a solid machine for free games, with one store, one account and one family app to manage. Here are the free games on our list that are available on Xbox in the UK, plus what Game Pass adds and the settings that keep spending predictable.
Free Switch games
Nintendo calls them "free-to-start" games, and the shelf is smaller than on PC or PlayStation. The good news is that several big free games are there, and Nintendo's own FAQ says free-to-play titles like Fortnite can be played online without a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Below are the free games on our list that Nintendo lists for Switch in the UK, plus the account settings worth checking before handing over the console.
Free Mobile games
Phones are where free-to-play started for most people, and where in-app purchases are only ever one tap away. There is no subscription gate for online play on mobile, so the real questions are which games are worth the storage, and how to make sure nobody spends by accident. These are the free games on our list that were available in the UK when checked, and the settings that matter most.