Sony has moved to clarify its updated digital rights management (DRM) policy for the PlayStation 5, after confusion led many gamers to believe that purchased digital games would require monthly online check-ins. The company issued a statement to GameSpot, explaining that a one-time online verification is all that is needed to confirm a game licence, with no further checks required.
Earlier reports suggested that Sony had implemented a 30-day DRM requirement, meaning digital games bought from the PlayStation Store could only be played when connected to the internet once a month. The confusion stemmed from ambiguous messaging from PlayStation’s support chat, which indicated the change would apply to all purchases after April 2026.
Sony’s statement sought to reassure players: “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual. A one-time online check is required to confirm the game's licence, after which no further check-ins are required.” The change is understood to target an exploit whereby players could purchase games, refund them, and continue playing offline after disconnecting the console.
Under the revised policy, newly purchased digital titles will require an online check within the first two weeks of purchase, after the refund window has closed. Once the licence is verified, the game is upgraded to a full licence and can be played offline indefinitely. For the vast majority of gamers who purchase titles normally, the update will have no noticeable impact.
The clarification comes after a week of uncertainty for PlayStation fans, who feared their digital libraries might be subject to restrictive online requirements. While the change does introduce a single online verification step, it is far less onerous than the monthly check-ins initially feared, and is designed to prevent abuse of the refund system.
