cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/46052675
Hugely terrible DRM has now been rolled out to all PS4 and PS5 digital games. Every digital game you buy now requires an online check-in every 30 days. If you buy a digital game and don’t connect your console to the internet for 30 days, your license will be removed.
Source [2026-04-25; +image]
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You wouldn’t “lose” it, the licence would be restored after connecting to internet… provided Sony’s servers are still functioning when you do…
Source [2026-04-25]
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…Trophies on PS4 require the internal system clock (the one you can’t see / alter) to be correct, so people cant change their PS4 date/time to make it look like they got trophies earlier than they really did. If your PS4 clock battery dies, all your games die
Source [2021-03-23]
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Newly purchased PS4 games now have 30 day valid license timer.
Most likely introduced in March 2026 firmware.
Could be a bug similar to an incident from 2022.
PS5 is affected too, but only shows an error when starting a game.Source [2026-04-25]
[Image] "Don't Starve Together" (PlayStation)
I moved several months ago and have yet to connect my PS4 to the internet. Looks like I never will.
They lost me when they started putting ads in the console home menu.
This is just more reason that my Sony connection is now limited to PCSX2, RPCS3, and Vita3k
Is the license lost forever if you don’t do the check ins?
The claims in this post say it effects games moving forward, no games bought previously. And that the game isn’t uninstalled or anything of the sort, it means if you haven’t connected to the Internet in 30 days you would have to connect to open the game. (Not sure what the reasoning would be, maybe they are trying to ensure people do updates, not sure). Someone else claimed above that it is fake all together, but I haven’t verified it.
The real issue here for most people to me would be if a game is eventually removed from their network and whether or not they remove the check in requirement if the digital game is removed. (Aka would the game be lost forever because Sony stopped hosting it, even if you had a copy on an external drive).
My guess would be no. I think this is effectively a “log in to play this game again” check that will happen if you are disconnected from the service for a month, basically.
Honestly, I would prefer they adopt a game-key-card approach if this is really the direction they’re going to take. At least a physical key would make more sense than a digital key that needs constant online connection for validity.
Honestly, I would prefer they adopt a game-key-card approach if this is really the direction they’re going to take.
That’s what a disc does on modern consoles.
Granted, sure, but they don’t even need the data (or a disc, for that matter) and that would still beat forcing a login every 30 days (at least IMO)
if they take it away they better give my money back
That’s the fun part, you never “bought” anything! In this bold new era of technofudalism you don’t own anything, you merely bought a license temporarily allowing you to use it, and that license can expire or be revoked at any time, for any reason!
i think this all makes the steam machine even better
Hate to disappoint you but Steam isn’t exempted from this. Will they ever do it? Unlikely, but the clause is in their subscriber agreement.
Not so long as Gabe is alive at least. I have very little faith in Steam staying the same after he inevitably passes the torch.
you would have options to use other stores something that does not exist with consoles
This is complete and utter fabrication. Literally just checked it.
This is not reddit, can we use more than two brain cells please?
Nah too late, we should rage like the hivemind
Jokes on them, only digital ps game I own is tlou2 on a ps4 which has been powered off for like three years.
Not like I had a reason to put it back online anytime soon.
Jokes on them, all my PS4 games a FPKG. It’ll never go online.
Jokes on them, I only have a PS3 and Vita as the only consoles that have PSN. And I only have like five PSN games on the latter to worry about. The rest are, well, discs or PKGs.
