Fears mount that PlayStation has "re-armed the CBOMB" issue which stops you playing purchased games, amid 30-day DRM and AI chat bot confusion

Key Points:

• PlayStation users discovered a new digital rights management (DRM) mechanism requiring an internet connection every 30 days to play some newly purchased digital games, though this appears to be a temporary license that transitions to an infinite offline license after about 15 days.
• This DRM affects only digital games bought recently, not physical copies or previously purchased games, and also impacts consoles with dead CMOS batteries, potentially rendering games unplayable if the internal clock cannot be verified.
• The DRM is believed to be an unintentional bug or a response to exploits involving refunds and license files, with speculation that Sony implemented the temporary license to prevent abuse of indefinite offline licenses during refund windows.
• Sony has not officially acknowledged the issue, and while some customer support bots have seemingly confirmed the checks, the authenticity of these interactions is uncertain due to the use of generative AI in support systems.
• Critics highlight concerns about lack of communication from Sony, the inconvenience to users who prefer offline play, and the risk that DRM reliance on online verification could lead to lost access to games, especially if Sony discontinues authentication services or consoles reach end-of-life.