PlayStation enforces 30‑day online check

PlayStation users are reporting that some newly purchased PS4 and PS5 digital games now require an internet check-in at least once every 30 days. (gamespot.com) (pushsquare.com) GameSpot reported on April 28 that purchases made before March 2026 appear unaffected, while newer PlayStation Store purchases show a 30-day timer tied to license validation. (gamespot.com) Push Square said it could reproduce the warning on some newly purchased PS4 games, but not on PS5, where some users say the timer is tracked in the background instead. (pushsquare.com) The underlying issue is digital licensing. When you buy a download, the console checks a license file to confirm your account can launch that game. (playstation.com) Sony’s own support pages already tell players to “restore licenses” if a downloaded game shows a padlock icon or fails to launch, and to enable PS5 “Console Sharing and Offline Play” or activate a primary PS4. (playstation.com) What changed is the reported time limit. Instead of offline access continuing indefinitely for a purchased download, affected users say the license now expires after 30 days without a fresh online verification. (gamespot.com) (vice.com) VICE reported that screenshots from PlayStation Support described a “30-Day Timer” for digital purchases after a March 2026 update and said setting a console as primary would not bypass it. (vice.com) The same VICE report said live support agents later denied there is any official rule requiring players to re-authenticate digital purchases every 30 days. (vice.com) That leaves the central fact pattern narrower than the viral posts suggest: multiple outlets and users say the timer exists on some new purchases, but Sony has not published a formal public notice explaining whether it is policy, bug, or rollback candidate. (gamespot.com) (pushsquare.com) (playstation.com) The dispute lands in a long-running argument over digital ownership on consoles, where players pay full price for downloads but access can still depend on account status, storefront rules, and server-side license checks. (playstation.com) (gamespot.com) For now, the clearest practical detail is timing: reports center on games bought after March 2026, and reconnecting the console appears to refresh access if the timer is present. (gamespot.com) (pushsquare.com)