Sony faces unintentional PlayStation DRM bug after recent firmware update

7 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Apr 25

A 30-day online validation requirement for new digital purchases appeared on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 after the latest 13.50 firmware, first reported by Modded Hardware and confirmed by DoesItPlay.
DoesItPlay cites an anonymous insider claiming the DRM issue is an accidental bug from Sony’s attempt to fix an exploit, not an intentional policy change, with Sony yet to issue an official statement.
The bug has sparked concern among PlayStation users about digital ownership and potential future restrictions, though there is currently no evidence that affected games become unplayable after the 30-day period.

Is Sony's new 30-day check-in a bug or the end of offline PlayStation gaming?

Will your PS5 games stop working after 30 days offline without any warning?

Is buying physical games now the only way to truly own them on PlayStation?

Are gamers just renting their expensive game libraries from Sony under this new system?

Could a firmware update make your entire digital PlayStation library unplayable in the future?