The panic started with rumors of a new DRM, or digital rights management, feature on X, which was further spread and amplified by YouTubers and Twitch streamers. Some PlayStation users noticed a strange “30-day license check” on new digital-only games purchased on both PlayStation 4 and PS5. The check appears to require an internet connection to verify the authenticity of the license each month. However, even then, it was unclear whether the game would actually stop working when the timer ran out.
It turns out that the check is a one-time event only. A Sony spokesperson told GameSpot, “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual. A one-time online verification is required to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are required.”
Finally, the DRM check is a one-time way to determine whether a game’s license is valid or not. This is presumably a means to fight refund scams that lets players keep games after going offline and return the title. This will likely only affect new games purchased in or after March of this year. This is not as widespread as the infamous Xbox One DRM, where Microsoft originally instituted 24-hour internet check-in for all purchased games. Xbox removed those DRM checks months before the console’s launch.
By staying quiet about changes to its platform, Sony has been pretty much silent about changes to its platform and policies. When the company doesn’t talk openly about these changes, it allows sensationalist social media speculation to run wild until it drops a minor boilerplate statement.
The whole situation is indicative of concerns over the ownership of the game. When you buy a digital title on the PlayStation Store, you’re not buying a copy of the game, but rather a “personal license” to play it, as explained in Sony’s terms of service. That license can be cancelled. In 2022, Sony removed several movies from German-based PlayStation accounts, possibly due to Sony’s own licensing issues with rights holders.
PlayStation controls which games are available for purchase, evidenced by the removal of over 150 “shovelware” titles from its digital store. Nobody will miss those games, but it’s an example of how much control Sony has over its entire platform. This determines what games you can play. This may restrict where and how you play them. It can remove those games from your library if it deems it necessary. The least a home entertainment company can do is let consumers know directly when it’s changing the way it purchases games.
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