Discussions have been raging in recent days over a seeming new initiative from PlayStation to impose DRM (Digital Rights Management) checks on content purchased through the PlayStation Store, forcing users to connect their consoles to the internet to verify ownership of their digital games.
This is a controversial potential change because, depending on the implementation, it can mean entire game libraries rendered unplayable if a user has no way of connecting their console/s to the internet to verify their ownership within the allotted timeframe – in this case, 30 days as reported by users who noticed the changed information on their own machines. The below tweet shows a user’s screen displaying a 30-day countdown timer for verification of their purchase, although this isn’t something that seems to be replicable on a PS5 right now:
Naturally, this has sent the internet into something of a frenzy, with folks concerned that this signals a mandatory online check every 30 days to continue playing their games.
The statement from PlayStation
Now though, PlayStation has finally begun issuing official statements concerning the change, somewhat quelling the storm by confirming that, yes, the company has introduced a form of mandatory online verification for game purchases – but not quite as egregiously as many had feared.
In a statement to GameSpot, a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson has said, “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual. A one-time online check is required to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are required.”
This seems to line up with the working theory among those well-versed in the DRM and game preservation spaces, such as Does it play?, who were responsible for the tweet above and who have posited (via Kotaku) that PlayStation has implemented a one-time check in order to combat refund scams and potential jailbreak exploits. After this one-time check, the license for a user’s content would then revert to the unlimited license that we all already expect from our PlayStation Store purchases, with no need for online verification.
In that event, it’s probably quite likely that PlayStation had not intended for this information to reach user’s visible dashboards and had not expected the vast majority of its user base to notice that single, online check happening within the first 30 days of a purchase. But here we are! So…
So, does PlayStation require a mandatory online connection to verify purchases every 30 days?
It doesn’t seem that way!
But things have changed. What this new information and official statement tell us is that PlayStation has implemented a once-off, mandatory online verification for all new content purchases from the PlayStation Store, after which a full, unlimited license is granted and no further checks are needed.
Is that a win for those concerned about digital game preservation and accessibility? Not entirely, but it’s certainly better news than what many had feared.
What do you think? Does this new mandatory check concern you? Let us know in the comments or on our social pages!