PlayStation Digital appears to have added new DRM for PS4 and PS5 games that require the console to be connected to the Internet to check every 30 days or risk having the game's player license temporarily revoked. Although it is unclear whether this is a deliberate change or the result of a bug, many PlayStation players are concerned about the future ownership of their digital games. Sony has not yet commented on the implementation of this feature.
DRM, or digital rights management, has been a hot topic among gamers since digital downloads of games became popular on storefronts like the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. Essentially, games with DRM mean that players are buying the right to play that game from the distributor, and the distributor can restrict access to the game if the buyer breaks its terms of use. From a consumer's perspective, DRM is seen as a way to limit players from directly owning their games, as they can theoretically access a game canceled by the distributor at any time.
PlayStation users may face the risk of online check-in or losing their digital games
A post shared on X by modder and YouTuber Lance McDonald shows a screenshot of what appears to be a new form of DRM added to PlayStation games purchased digitally through the PlayStation Store. According to McDonald, Sony has added an online check-in requirement for digital PS4 and PS5 games that require the console to connect to the Internet every 30 days, or it will revoke the user's access to that game. The screenshot shown in this post contains data for valid period (start) and valid period (end) time along with a counter for days left to check-in under the notification section of the PlayStation version. Don't Starve Together: Console Edition.
Another poster on X, Will It Play?, was able to confirm this change, sharing a similar screenshot. Does it play? It's also mentioned that they've heard rumors of Xbox consoles receiving a similar update, potentially making this new DRM a factor for players on Sony and Microsoft platforms. However, at this time no screenshots have been shared confirming that the feature has been added to Xbox.
In a separate post, does it play? The DRM update on the PlayStation was accidental and that “Sony accidentally broke something while fixing the exploit,” an insider informed them of the update. Without clear confirmation from Sony, there is no way to verify the truth of this claim. However, some users have already expressed concern that Sony may not be able to go live for this feature at this time, but plans to add this type of DRM to PlayStation Store purchases in the future.
This new DRM seems to only affect new PS Store purchases; Games already purchased from the storefront appear to be unaffected. Furthermore, setting the PlayStation as the primary console under Account and Security Settings does not seem to remove or bypass this online check-in requirement.
