PlayStation reportedly adds new 30-day DRM check for digital games

PlayStation users are reporting that the latest PS5 update has added a 30-day online license check for digital games, locking players out of accessing titles if their console has not been online in a month.

The details:

• As spotted by YouTube channel Modded Warfare and verified by Twitch streamer Lance McDonald, the recent version 13.20 update for PS5 has introduced a 30-day timer for games purchased after an unspecified date that counts down if a console is not connected to the internet. During the 30-day period, a game will be playable offline, but after it hits zero, players must restore the license via PlayStation Network.
• The timer, which is said to affect digital versions of both PS4 and PS5 games, can be viewed on PS4 consoles under the information section on the home screen but is currently invisible on the PS5.
• It appears that the start date for the DRM check is around mid-April, with YouTuber Spawn Wave purchasing two new titles and removing the CMOS battery from his console to disable its internal clock. He discovered that his older games ran flawlessly while the newer purchases couldn’t be opened, displaying a message that read, “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license.”
• Sony has yet to comment on the situation, but players believe that it could be a mistake. Back in 2021, players discovered that a failing CMOS battery could render PS4 games unplayable, which was later fixed in a patch by Sony. Given the silence around the DRM policy, it may have been added unintentionally.