Sony PlayStation's New 30-Day DRM Check-In Explained: Bug or Intentional?
- Sagar Mankar
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sony has quietly rolled out a 30-day DRM check-in system for newly purchased digital games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
The change was first spotted by modder Lance McDonald, who flagged it on X. He noted that digital games purchased after a certain date now carry an online verification requirement. According to McDonald, if a console does not connect to the internet within 30 days, players will be locked out of their games until a connection is restored and the license is renewed.
He shared a screenshot of Don't Starve displaying a new "Remaining Time" category on its game page.
As per reports by Modded Warfare, the change appears to have arrived alongside the PS5's version 13.20 firmware update. The timer reportedly applies to all digital games purchased from around mid-April 2026 onwards. Older purchases made before that window do not seem to be affected, and players who tested their existing digital libraries confirmed that none of those titles carry the new timer.
The DRM system works like this: after purchasing a digital game, a 30-day countdown begins. As long as you go online at least once within that window, the timer resets and you are good to go. If the 30 days run out, the game will not launch until your console connects to PlayStation's servers to verify the license. It does not mean you lose the game permanently, but the restriction is enough to cause frustration, especially for players who go offline for extended periods.
PlayStation Support chatbots have been responding to user queries on the matter. One widely shared message from the support team reads:
Sony has not issued any formal statement confirming or denying the change, which has only added fuel to the fire.
There is also the possibility that this is a bug rather than an intentional rollout. Game preservation website Does it Play ealier claimed it received word from an anonymous insider suggesting Sony "accidentally broke something while fixing an exploit." The site stated that Sony had known about the confusing UI for some time but did not treat it as urgent. However, even if the deployment was unintentional, the fact that the underlying system and user interface were already built suggests Sony had at least been exploring this option internally.
Modded Warfare has speculated that the change may have been introduced to combat jailbreaking. Certain digital PS5 titles, such as Star Wars: Racer Revenge and Don't Starve Together: Console Edition, have been used to trigger kernel exploits that open consoles to homebrew and piracy. Since jailbroken consoles are typically kept offline to avoid bans, requiring a regular online check-in would effectively shut down those exploit pathways.
The situation has drawn comparisons to Microsoft's infamous Xbox One DRM policy from 2013, which required a 24-hour online check-in and caused a significant backlash that damaged the Xbox brand for years. Sony's 30-day window is far less aggressive by comparison, but the principle still stings.