PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players have begun experiencing a DRM bug or a new online license check for recently purchased digital games.
According to numerous reports online, PlayStation’s latest system software updates have introduced a 30-day license check for digital games players have purchased. It’s been shown that those who leave their console without internet access over 30 days can lose access to certain games.
Potential major DRM issue rolled out by PlayStation (and Xbox as well, allegedly). All new PSN purchases now have a 30 day validation countdown. Already investigating to find out more details. pic.twitter.com/4hqMdWfJ2T
— Does it play? (@DoesItPlay1) April 25, 2026
Many credible accounts regarding this issue have begun to populate the internet over the past few days. Game-accessibility account “Does it play?” posted on X (formerly Twitter), showing an example of the 30-day timer that appears in the background software. The timer isn’t visible on PlayStation 5 but is being tracked in the background, according to the account.
It’s also claimed that the issue is affecting all new PlayStation Store games purchased after March 2026. Those purchased digitally before that time remain unaffected as of now.
Currently, there are conflicting reports on whether this is an intentional feature or a frustrating bug. At one point, Does it play? reported that it spoke to an anonymous insider, who claimed that the issue is unintentional and that PlayStation “broke something while fixing an exploit.” However, as other accounts, such as Pirat_Nation, have shown, PlayStation support confirms that the new DRM is intentional and details the online license check.
PlayStation support has confirmed that a new digital rights management policy for the console is intentional, not a glitch.
Starting with any digital games purchased after the March 2026 system update, your PS5 will require an internet connection at least once every 30 days to… pic.twitter.com/yObylXjMRC
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) April 27, 2026
For most players, the use of online DRM checks won’t affect how they play games. Though in an age when digital preservation is becoming a greater focus, players are understandably irritated by the introduction of such a feature. With DRM in place, players are required to maintain a stable internet connection to their console to ensure access to games purchased with their wallet.
Similarly, Microsoft ran into this very issue way back in 2012. Upon the introduction of the Xbox One, Microsoft added DRM license checks to its platform. At the time, the backlash was so intense that it dealt enormous damage to the brand, with many players flocking to the PlayStation 4.
iPhone in Canada has reached out to PlayStation for comment and will update this story accordingly.
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