The short answer is no, Battlefield 4 is not completely free to play on PC. However, there are a few limited options to access the game for free or at a steep discount. Let‘s take a deeper look at the ways you can try out Battlefield 4 without paying full price.
Free Trial Options
EA Play 10-Hour Trial
If you don‘t have an EA Play subscription, you can sign up for a free 10-hour trial through their service. This will give you full access to Battlefield 4‘s multiplayer and singleplayer for 10 hours. Progress during the trial carries over if you decide to purchase the full game later.
The 10-hour limit is plenty of time to get a feel for Battlefield 4‘s gameplay and make an informed decision about buying it. I‘d recommend using 3-4 hours to complete a few singleplayer missions, then spend the rest of your time trying out online multiplayer. Playing a mix of solo and multiplayer content will give you the best sense of what BF4 offers.
Amazon Prime Free Copy
Amazon Prime members can claim a free digital copy of Battlefield 4 through Amazon‘s Prime Gaming service. This offer seems to come and go, so claim it fast if it‘s available. Unlike the EA Play trial, the Prime copy is yours to keep permanently.
Between these two options, you can essentially try before you buy and score BF4 for free if you have Prime. Not a bad deal!
Purchasing Battlefield 4 on the Cheap
Now let‘s discuss your options if you want to buy Battlefield 4 outright. The game frequently goes on sale for 50-75% off on digital retailers like Origin, Steam, Green Man Gaming, and Fanatical. I regularly see it discounted to around $5-10 during seasonal sales events.
Your best bet is adding it to your wishlist on sites like IsThereAnyDeal and waiting for an alert. They‘ll let you know when BF4 hits your target price across multiple authorized key sellers. No need to manually check.
If you don‘t want to wait for a sale, EA Play members can purchase it for 50% off as part of their subscription perks. Either way, be patient and you can often grab BF4 Deluxe Edition for under $10.
Can You Play Without Paying at All?
Aside from the free trial options mentioned already, there is no way to play Battlefield 4 indefinitely without paying anything. You‘ll have to purchase the base game, which normally costs $19.99.
EA holds the multiplayer servers hostage, so even if you downloaded the game files elsewhere, you‘d need an authorized copy linked to your Origin account to play online. Don‘t waste your time trying to pirate it.
Is Battlefield 4 Still Worth Playing in 2024?
Battlefield 4 was originally released in 2013, making it over 9 years old. You might assume the player base has moved on, but BF4 remains fairly popular even in 2024.
According to data sites like ActivePlayer, it still averages around 5,000 concurrent players daily on Steam alone. Things get more lively on weekends, where it can peak over 15,000 players.
The game also receives ongoing updates focused on bug fixes, quality of life changes, and anti-cheat measures. DICE clearly still dedicates resources to keeping BF4 polished.
There‘s also an active modding community creating custom maps, weapons, and full conversion mods. Sites like ModDB host dozens of creative fan-made addons.
With newer entries like Battlefield 2042 stumbling out of the gate, BF4 offers a stable, content-rich multiplayer experience. The gameplay holds up remarkably well in 2024, especially on PC with the additional updates and mods.
Breakdown of Game Modes and Content
Let‘s discuss exactly what gameplay options you‘ll get with Battlefield 4 to help decide if it‘s worth your time and money:
Singleplayer Campaign
The main singleplayer campaign has 14 missions spanning about 6 hours of gameplay. The story follows US special forces as they combat a Russian admiral planning a coup d‘état. Campaign reviews were mixed at launch, but it provides a solid primer on gameplay mechanics against AI bots.
Multiplayer Modes
Here‘s a quick breakdown of BF4‘s multiplayer game modes:
- Conquest – Control capture points on a large map with up to 64 players.
- Rush – Attack/defend bomb sites with 24 players per team.
- Domination – Fast-paced action holding 3 flags on compact maps.
- Team Deathmatch – Eliminate the enemy team to score points.
- Obliteration – Destroy objectives with a randomly spawning bomb.
- Defuse – Attack or defuse bombs in a 5v5 competitive mode.
With 10 massive maps at launch and more added via DLC, there‘s tons of battlefield environments to explore. Matches support up to 64 players for epic-scale warfare combining infantry, ground vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels.
Progression System
As you play multiplayer matches, you‘ll earn experience points to rank up your Soldier profile. New weapons, accessories, and passive perks unlock as you progress through the 100 ranks.
There‘s a satisfying sense of progression as you customize your preferred loadouts and improve your capabilities. BF4 really nails the core gameplay loop of online shooters.
Recommended PC Hardware
Given its 2013 release, Battlefield 4 runs well even on lower end modern gaming PCs. Here are the official minimum and recommended specs:
Minimum
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4GHz / AMD Athlon X2 @ 2.8 GHz
- RAM: 4GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 / AMD Radeon HD 6850
- Storage: 30GB HDD
Recommended
- CPU: Intel Core i5 @ 3.0GHz
- RAM: 8GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 / AMD Radeon HD 7870
- Storage: 30GB SSD
A dual core CPU, 8GB RAM, and a mid-range GPU like a GTX 1060 or RX 580 will offer a smooth 60fps+ experience at 1080p. BF4 also supports higher resolutions if your hardware can handle it.
Now let‘s compare the install size…
Install Size Comparison
Battlefield 4‘s install size comes in at around 30-35GB depending on your platform. Here‘s how that compares to other popular shooter installs:
| Game | Install Size |
|---|---|
| Battlefield 4 | 30GB |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 250GB |
| Apex Legends | 70GB |
| Valorant | 15GB |
As you can see, BF4 is quite lightweight by today‘s standards. The limited hard drive space needed makes it an accessible option for gaming laptops or rigs with smaller SSDs.
In summary…
While not 100% free, Battlefield 4 offers plenty of cheap and even free ways to check it out:
- 10-hour EA Play trial
- Free copy for Prime members
- Frequent 50-75% off sales
- Only 30GB install size
- 5,000+ concurrent players daily in 2024
For just $10-20 on sale, you get a massive multiplayer shooter with tons of content and polished gameplay that holds up well nearly a decade later.
So if you‘re looking for an affordable and approachable online FPS, Battlefield 4 fits the bill. Take advantage of the free trial options, then decide if you want to commit to purchasing. With the ability to regularly grab it on sale for under $10, BF4 is absolutely still worth playing today.
