Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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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.
Modder Lance McDonald claims that Sony has introduced a new DRM system affecting digital games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
According to the claim:
• Newly purchased digital games may require an online check-in every 30 days
• If the console isn’t connected within that period, the license could be revoked temporarily
• This reportedly does not affect older purchases
• The usual “primary console” setting allegedly does not bypass this requirement
There has been no official confirmation from Sony, so this should be treated as a rumor for now. Hmmm….let’s see if we get anywhere near the reaction Microsoft copped in 2013
This is arguably even worse too
At least Xbox was giving you a benefit for your check in. Letting you buy a disc and install a digital copy. The check in was also ONE OFF. Not every 30 days lol What we know/don't know about PlayStation's DRM issue Any PlayStation game purchased digitally after March's sytem update will reportedly now require an internet connection once every 30 days to validate the license 🎮
If the console stays offline longer than that, the games will not launch until you reconnect
PlayStation support has confirmed that a new digital rights management policy for the console is intentional, not a glitch.
Starting with any digital games purchased after the March 2026 system update, your PS5 will require an internet connection at least once every 30 days to validate the license.
If the console stays offline longer than that, the games simply will not launch until you reconnect.
This change does not affect any titles already in your library. Setting a console as your primary system also will not bypass the monthly check-in.
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.
Follow me on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/dreamcastguy
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/dreamcastguy.bsky.social
Twitch: twitch.tv/thedreamcastguy
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.
Modder Lance McDonald claims that Sony has introduced a new DRM system affecting digital games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
According to the claim:
• Newly purchased digital games may require an online check-in every 30 days
• If the console isn’t connected within that period, the license could be revoked temporarily
• This reportedly does not affect older purchases
• The usual “primary console” setting allegedly does not bypass this requirement
There has been no official confirmation from Sony, so this should be treated as a rumor for now. Hmmm….let’s see if we get anywhere near the reaction Microsoft copped in 2013
This is arguably even worse too
At least Xbox was giving you a benefit for your check in. Letting you buy a disc and install a digital copy. The check in was also ONE OFF. Not every 30 days lol What we know/don't know about PlayStation's DRM issue Any PlayStation game purchased digitally after March's sytem update will reportedly now require an internet connection once every 30 days to validate the license 🎮
If the console stays offline longer than that, the games will not launch until you reconnect
PlayStation support has confirmed that a new digital rights management policy for the console is intentional, not a glitch.
Starting with any digital games purchased after the March 2026 system update, your PS5 will require an internet connection at least once every 30 days to validate the license.
If the console stays offline longer than that, the games simply will not launch until you reconnect.
This change does not affect any titles already in your library. Setting a console as your primary system also will not bypass the monthly check-in.
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.
