PlayStation appears to have added a new DRM for digital PS4 and PS5 games that requires the console to be connected to the internet to check in every 30 days or risk having the player's license for that game temporarily revoked. While it's not clear whether this is an intentional change or the result of a bug, many PlayStation gamers are concerned about the future ownership of their digital games. Sony has yet to comment on the implementation of this feature.
DRM, or digital rights management, has been a hot topic among gamers since digital game downloads became commonplace on storefronts like the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. Games with DRM essentially mean that players buy the right to play that game from the distributor, and the distributor can restrict access to the game if the buyer violates its terms of use. From the consumer's perspective, DRM is seen as a way to restrict players from actually owning their games, as they can theoretically have access to the game revoked by the distributor at any time.
PlayStation users may have to deal with an online check-in or risk losing their digital games
A post shared to X by modder and YouTuber Lance McDonald shows a screenshot of what looks like a new form of DRM that has been 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 requires a 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 a valid period (start) and valid period (end) along with a counter of days remaining until a check-in must be performed under the information section of the PlayStation version of Don't Starve Together: Console Edition.
Another poster on X, Is It Playing?, was able to confirm this change and shared a similar screenshot. Does it play? also mentions that they've heard rumors that Xbox consoles are also getting a similar update, potentially making this new DRM a factor for gamers on both Sony and Microsoft's platforms. However, no screenshots have been shared confirming that this feature has been added to Xbox as of now.
In a separate post, Does it play? provides an update saying they have been informed by an insider that the DRM update on the PlayStation was accidental and that “Sony accidentally broke something when fixing an exploit.” Without explicit 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 have intended for this feature to go live at this time, but has planned to add this type of DRM to PlayStation Store purchases in the future.
This new DRM only seems to affect new PS Store purchases; games already purchased from the storefront appear to be unaffected. Setting a PlayStation as the primary console under account and security settings does not appear to remove or bypass this online check-in requirement.
