PlayStation now requires a ‘one-time online check’ to confirm you own a game

Sony has finally stepped in to clear up the growing confusion around a new DRM (Digital Rights Management) system on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles. Users reported that the system’s latest updates seemingly introduced a requirement to go online once every 30 days to validate game licenses, but Sony now says this is false.

In a statement to GameSpot, a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson said that “a one-time online check is required to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are required.” The DRM rumors had sparked concerns that gamers who don’t sign in every month would lose access to their games by allowing the licenses to lapse, but Sony says that “players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual.”

With no official response from Sony to explain the changes at the time, users speculated that the new DRM update required monthly online connectivity, perhaps to combat refund scams that use jailbroken PS4 consoles to extract digital game licenses. The introduction of a one-time verification could still be aimed at tackling such a vulnerability, though Sony hasn’t confirmed its reasoning behind the changes.

Sony’s slow response has reheated concerns about ownership rights for digital games, however. The messy situation mirrors similar discord from 2013 around Microsoft requiring Xbox One owners to be subjected to online checks every 24 hours. That was swiftly scrapped following feedback from outraged gamers, but not before Sony released an ad poking fun at its competitor’s decisions.