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PlayStation users online are saying that Sony has added a form of digital rights management in the latest firmware updates for the PS4 and PS5. The changes will reportedly require PlayStation console owners to connect to the internet every 30 days to continue playing their digital games. However, it has not been confirmed whether this was intentional or just a bug.
The first vision of DRM’s potential came from… Modified devicesa homebrew and console YouTuber, as first reported by My city On April 25th. The creator uploaded a video showing an updated “information” screen for digital games on the PS4, showing a “valid period” that displays a 30-day counter. If the console is not connected to the Internet to perform a license check using Sony’s servers during that time, the report says, the games will not be playable until the console is connected to the Internet.
The absolutely terrible Digital Rights Management (DRM) has now been rolled out to all digital PS4 and PS5 games. Every digital game you purchase now requires an online check-in every 30 days. If you purchase a digital game and do not connect your console to the Internet for 30 days, your license will be removed. pic.twitter.com/23gU16CIkx
– Lance MacDonald (@manfightdragon) April 25, 2026
Jonathan Downey, host Spoonwave channel on YouTubeHe conducted his own testing on a PS5, since the “Information” screen display in PS5 games did not show the same “Valid Period” information as on a PS4.
To test it, in a video uploaded Monday, Downey removed the PS5 CMOS battery, the lithium battery on the console’s motherboard that stores data such as the current time and date. After removing the battery, he tried to play a game he had purchased digitally weeks earlier, but received a message saying it was unplayable.
This looks bad pic.twitter.com/cd7WwH6TIt
– Gene Park (@GenePark) April 28, 2026
There is speculation in PlayStation homebrew community That the change was a way for Sony to sneak in code that would hinder modders. Online check-in is a popular tactic against modded devices, as it prevents illegally downloaded games from playing on the console unless it connects to the Internet, which then begins the process of downloading and installing the latest firmware.
Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Users on X posted their messages with PlayStation support agents. These agents seem to offer different explanations, with some declaring the issue a bug and others a feature. However, PlayStation support agents are not necessarily the authority on all matters PlayStation-related, so their answers do not necessarily represent the entire organization.