- Sony has confirmed that gamers will not need constant internet access to play digital PlayStation games
- A 30-day license verification countdown has been introduced for new digital games
- A one-time online verification will be required to validate the game license
Sony has finally responded to the ongoing PlayStation licensing controversy, confirming that a constant internet connection would not be required to play digital games.
Earlier this week, a new “30-day license check” was spotted on digitally purchased PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 games, immediately sparking concerns among users. It was initially believed that the system would revoke gaming licenses if players did not log into their PSN account or connect their console to the internet.
This would apply to digital games purchased after the last system update in March and would apparently not impact previous purchases.
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“Potential major DRM issue being rolled out by PlayStation (and Xbox too, it seems). All new PSN purchases now have a 30 day validation countdown. We’re already investigating to find out more,” spotted X/Twitter user ‘DoesItPlay’.
However, Sony has now fixed the issue and, at the same time, allayed concerns by confirming that users only need to be connected to the internet and perform one-time license authentication. Beyond that, no other checks will be necessary.
“Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual,” a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson told GameSpot. “A one-time online verification is required to confirm the game license, after which no further verification is required.”
Fortunately, the new system shouldn’t cause too many problems for users, but all PS5 and PS4 digital games purchased from the PS Store will need to be authenticated once.
It is suspected that the license check is intended to prevent possible refund scams, particularly by requesting a refund and then immediately disconnecting from the internet to continue playing the game.
Separately, Sony has started rolling out its new PlayStation age verification system in the UK and Ireland as part of the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA). The process is currently optional, but will become mandatory in June 2026.
Those who do not verify their age will lose access to many PlayStation communication features such as text and voice chat, messaging, Discord voice chat, streaming features, etc.
Users should receive an email asking them to follow the age verification steps. If you haven’t received yours yet, you can check out the official FAQ to get started.
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