PS5 DRM Is Real, But It’s Only For 14 Days to Stop Refund Abuse
· Vice
Sony has finally made an official statement on its new controversial PS5 DRM feature. According to a SIE rep, the 30-Day Check-In timer on PlayStation 5 digital games is only temporary. So it’s only slightly less worse than we thought.
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Sony Finally Addresses PS5 DRM Backlash
Screenshot: PlayStationIn case you missed it, Sony recently kicked off a wave of backlash after users discovered a new PS5 DRM feature on all digital games purchased after April 2026. Essentially, players who don’t connect to the internet after 30 days would have their game bricked and be blocked from playing it. On the surface, it appeared to be the same “always online” Xbox One feature Microsoft attempted to release in 2013.
However, after a week of silence, Sony finally made an official comment to GameSpot clarifying the situation. “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.”
While some Sony fans have been quick to claim this means the PS5 DRM was never real, that isn’t exactly accurate. It’s true the new DRM isn’t as bad as we thought, but it’s still a new restriction. It appears players are now required to log in at least once after 14 days of purchase, or risk their game getting blocked. SIE’s statement also doesn’t fully address everything about the feature.
PS5 DRM Isn’t 30 Days, It’s a 14-Day Check-In
Screenshot: PlayStationWhile Sony didn’t outright confirm this, it appears that the new PS5 DRM is tied to a 14-day refund window. This was first discovered by ResetEra user andshrew. In a forum post, the poster explained, “What has changed now is that new purchases are not being automatically issued a license file with an indefinite duration; instead, a 30-day license is issued. I have two recent purchase games I’ve been able to test this with.”
According to andshrew, the PS5 DRM change could be Sony trying to stop players abusing their refund policy. “So I am speculating that perhaps people were exploiting the fact that you could purchase a game, grab the indefinite license file for the thing off of an exploitable PS4 and then refund the purchase—and Sony is currently mitigating this issue by time-limiting the initial license that you are issued.”
Screenshot: ResetEra AndshrewThis of course lines up with Sony’s recent statement that players only need to make a “one-time” check-in to make the DRM go away. However, because SIE’s comment didn’t specify when the one-time check-in needs to happen, it’s only caused more confusion. Yes, players who don’t log in after 14 days have a 30-day timer on their PS5 digital games. However, it appears that if you do log in, then that timer/DRM goes away permanently.
PS5 DRM Explained: How the 14-Day System Works
Screenshot: PlayStationIf you are still confused, I don’t blame you! The whole thing is doing my own head in with all the back and forth. However, here is a breakdown of how the PS5 DRM system reportedly works:
- Players who buy a PS4 or PS5 digital game after April 2026 have a new 30-Day Check-In DRM installed on the game.
- Users need to then log in at least once after 14 days to make the DRM go away.
- After logging in after the refund window, your PS5 digital game will then transition to a permanent license.
- Once you are issued a permanent license, you won’t have to connect your PS5 digital game to the internet again.
If all of this is accurate, then Sony’s statement is a bit misleading. Because no, this isn’t how things “usually” are. It’s still a new DRM system that now requires players to check in after a certain time window (currently estimated to be 14 to 15 days).
But on the other hand, this also isn’t 100% verified, because SIE’s statement was so vague. However, several players have been testing the PS5 DRM, and the general consensus so far seems to be that users are granted a permanent license only after connecting to the internet after the refund window.
Why The New DRM Feature Is Still Problematic
Screenshot: Naughty Dog, PlayStationGame preservation site Does It Play? reacted to Sony’s statement about the situation and still cautioned players that the PS5 DRM is still troubling. “For the corpo defenders out there still denying issues around the Sony DRM: The CBOMB is back for the DRM-affected titles. We tested it, HikikomoriMedia tested it, SpawnWaveMedia tested it. If we’re lucky, it’s only for 14 days. But it exists.”
So yes, it appears the Sony PS5 DRM isn’t as bad as we all thought. But it’s still very much real, and a new policy that was seemingly implemented quietly without informing consumers. If it was added by mistake, then transparency could have gone a long way. But as of now, we are still left in the dark.
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