One of the best ways to play video games on consoles these days is to pick them up for free.

Sony and Microsoft continue to offer great incentives to keep gamers enrolled in their online services through their free games programs. Each month, gamers can pick up a handful of titles on the Playstation Plus Instant Games Collection, or try out a great recent title on the Xbox’s Games with Gold collection.

Case in point: this month, you can either play “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” on the Xbox One, or “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” on the Playstation 4.

That doesn’t count all the random, fun indie games you can pick up on a regular basis through the online programs. There are wonderful, imaginative games like “The Unfinished Swan” or “Never Alone,” or even the delightful RPG “Child of Light” for sale at random months for each program.

It’s a smart move by both companies to offer a few games to their online subscribers. Console enthusiasts know they have to pay a fee to use PS4 or XB1 online services, from multiplayer to Netflix access. Yet gamers can miss out on some intriguing games if they don’t take advantage of the Playstation Plus or Xbox Gold programs to download and play them.

As with everything these days, the games do come with a catch. If your subscription expires, your free games become locked until you renew your account. In addition, consoles only come with about 500GB of space, which is smaller than it sounds in today’s gaming world.

Yet gamers and families are missing out if they’re not taking advantage of these opportunities. Along with the latest “Metal Gear Solid” game, Sony is offering gamers indie games like the fun, strategy-based “Skulls of the Shogun,” the intriguing shoot-’em-up “Futuridium” and the addictive “Rocket League,” a cross between soccer and a demolition derby with cars and the players.

On the Microsoft side of things, XB1 gets the latest “Assassin’s Creed” along with a cute-looking 2D puzzle game, “So Many Me.” Gamers on the Xbox can download “Gears of War 3” and “Plants vs. Zombies,” though “Gears” and “So Many Me” will be available for free on July 16.

This is a good deal for gamers on a budget. If you’re not taking advantage of this, you should start.