PS5 Confirmed to Be Affected by Game Expiry Issue, Sony Still Silent on DRM Worries
Push Square • • technology
Key Points:
- Recent testing confirms that a new DRM-like issue affecting PS4 games—requiring online license verification every 30 days—also impacts PS5 titles, with some newly purchased games failing to boot offline after CMOS battery removal.
- The error message displayed states the console cannot verify the license without connecting to Sony’s servers, raising concerns about game preservation if servers go offline or the CMOS battery fails.
- This problem currently affects only recently purchased games and does not revoke licenses if the 30-day check-in is missed, but the situation remains unclear pending an official response from Sony.
- Some evidence suggests this may be an unintended bug linked to a recent Sony fix, rather than deliberate DRM, though the company has yet to comment publicly despite ongoing inquiries.
- The issue echoes past problems on older PlayStation systems and has sparked widespread concern among users about the long-term accessibility of their digital game libraries.
