Your PS5 Games Could Vanish in 30 Days if You Don't Log In Soon
Sony has been facing backlash from PlayStation users after unverified claims suggested they may have quietly introduced a new digital rights management system affecting games on the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The rumor centers on a possible 30-day online check-in requirement for newly purchased digital titles, though the situation remains unconfirmed and continues to evolve.
The controversy began on April 24 when Modded Hardware released a video showing a new “remaining time” counter on recently purchased digital titles. The claims quickly gained traction after posts from modder Lance McDonald, who alleged that any new digital game purchased through the PlayStation Store now requires the console to connect to the internet at least once every 30 days. According to those posts, failing to complete that check-in could result in the temporary loss of the game’s license, preventing users from launching titles they already paid for. The claims gained more traction the following day when he posted on X, stating that "hugely terrible DRM has now been rolled out."
Bug or Feature?
So far, Sony has not issued an official statement. This silence has led to split theories regarding the cause.
The first theory suggests an aggressive new anti-piracy measure. If true, this would be a reversal of Sony’s historical marketing stance, which famously criticized Microsoft’s "always-online" vision for the Xbox One over a decade ago.
The second, more optimistic theory comes from the game preservation site Does It Play?. Citing an anonymous insider, the site reported that the DRM may be an “unintentional bug” introduced during Sony's patching of an exploit in a recent firmware update.
However, testers like desgamesyt are pushing back against the "visual bug" narrative. In subsequent stress tests involving a drained CMOS battery (the internal hardware that keeps time), users reported that games purchased after March 2026 became unplayable once the 30-day timer expired, even on primary consoles.
The reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly negative, with many players drawing direct comparisons to the Xbox One DRM controversy in 2013. At the time, Microsoft planned to require the console to check in online every 24 hours to verify game licenses, alongside restrictions on used games and game sharing. The policy sparked immediate backlash from players who felt it limited ownership and offline access, ultimately forcing Microsoft to reverse course before the console launched. The reaction has also led many players to revisit their concerns about digital libraries. Some describe them as a trap, since access depends on licensing rather than true ownership. Unlike physical copies, digital games can be affected by online checks or platform policies.
For now, players are advised to keep their consoles connected to the internet, as it remains unclear whether this is a permanent policy shift or a temporary bug that may be resolved with a hotfix. Either way, the situation has become a public relations challenge for Sony, raising concerns about trust in their digital storefront.
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