Sony denies rumours of monthly game licence checks on PlayStation

Sony has denied claims that gamers will need to go online every 30 days to verify their game licences, The Verge reports.

The new DRM system on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 will require a one-time online licence check, with no monthly check-ins after that, a Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson said.

The statement came several days after content creator Modded Hardware first flagged the DRM issue on April 24.

Throughout April, PS4 and PS5 owners had been reporting that their consoles demanded an internet connection at least once every 30 days, with digital purchases otherwise becoming inaccessible. Sony support staff reportedly told users that the 30-day countdown applied to content bought after March 2026.

Users have speculated that the monthly check was meant to combat fraud schemes that exploit jailbroken consoles to extract digital game licences.

The episode echoes Microsoft's 2013 Xbox One launch, when the company tried to require online check-ins every 24 hours and reversed course "following feedback from outraged gamers". As The Verge puts it, "Sony's slow response has reheated concerns about ownership rights for digital games".