Battlefield 2042 open beta: Xbox LIVE Gold required, not PS Plus

The upcoming Battlefield 2042 open beta test will require Xbox LIVE Gold subscriptions on Xbox consoles, but PlayStation Plus won't be required for PS4 or PS5.

Battlefield 2042 brings 128-player Conquest chaos with an open beta on October 6-8, but Xbox gamers won't be able to play without an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. The news was confirmed by DICE in an open beta FAQ:

"The Battlefield 2042 Open Beta is available to play on PC (via Origin, EA app, Steam, and Epic) and console (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S). Please note, PlayStation Plus is not needed to participate in the Open Beta, however, if you're playing on Xbox you will need to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber."

There's a silver lining, though. All Game Pass subscribers get early access on October 6 because they're technically also subscribed to EA Play.

This is interesting because an older BF2042 beta disclaimer page says both subscriptions will be required.

The beta will include 64v64 carnage in the Conquest gametype on the Orbital map. BF2042's multiplayer is so big this time around that DICE has created a new pacing system to keep the map interactions fresh and exciting, and players will be able to use four operators throughout. Cross-progression is also supported in the beta.