What was announced in 2013 during the presentation of the Xbox One console has become a reality in the world of PlayStation in 2026. From now on, all owners of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as buyers of digital games, will no longer be able to play purchased games without internet access.
It has been officially confirmed by PlayStation customer support that all digital games purchased from March 2026, i.e., the recent system update, will become unplayable after 30 days without connecting to the internet. In simple terms - the license will expire, and the games will be locked!
We must admit, we did not expect such a move from Sony. Back in 2013 during the E3 fair, Sony's executives even boasted that the PlayStation 4 would not have draconian DRM as was planned for the Microsoft Xbox One. While a change of plans occurred back then due to dissatisfaction among Xbox fans, it seems that the introduction of this significant change has flown under the radar for most PlayStation players around the world.
Who knows what awaits us next. The digital model of the PlayStation 6 console with stricter DRM that would prevent game sharing and purchasing from foreign PlayStation Store shops could become a reality!
