We can’t pretend we weren’t a little miffed when it looked like PlayStation had introduced a 30-day online license check that could leave you locked out of your digital games without an internet connection. Others, too, rebuked Sony’s policy that was a little too reminiscent of Xbox’s mistakes back in 2013. Fortunately, this isn’t the case.
Good news for PlayStation gamers
A Sony rep, speaking with GameSpot, has confirmed that the console only performs a single license check after a game has been purchased. This has seemingly been introduced to combat refund scams, preventing players who might refund a game from finding a way to keep playing it offline after the fact (via andshrew on ResetEra).
“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.”
The original story stemmed from X user ‘Does it play?‘, who claimed that games purchased in March or later would be subject to Sony’s new 30-day online check policy. Failing to connect your console to the internet during that period would allegedly leave you locked out of your games ’til you could find a connection.
While the story spread like wildfire, however, Sony certainly didn’t help matters by sitting idly by. Still, it’s an all-around win for PlayStation gamers everywhere. A single online license check likely won’t interfere much with gameplay, seeing as an internet connection is required to purchase and download digital games anyway.
