PS5 Digital Edition locks games after 30 days offline, sparking backlash

Sony PlayStation confirmed that PS5 digital games purchased after the March 2026 system update will require online license verification every 30 days. Games will be locked after 30 days offline.

This policy hits digital-only players hard. You buy a game, then Sony tells you: check in online monthly or your game gets bricked. Worse, setting your PS5 as the primary console won't bypass the mandatory verification. This isn't DRM—it's a digital leash.

The only upside: no retroactive enforcement. Games purchased before the March 2026 update remain unaffected. But for anyone buying digital afterward, it's a ticking time bomb. Month-long business trip? Locked. Network outage? Locked. Sony's servers acting up? Still locked.

Compared to Xbox and Steam's offline modes, Sony's approach looks aggressive. Microsoft lets consoles play digital games offline, and Steam's offline mode lasts months. Sony's clearly tethering players to their internet connection. If you haven't committed to a PS5 Digital Edition yet, reconsider—or wait for disc-drive models to drop in price. At least physical discs don't need Sony's permission to run.