For gaming enthusiasts, the last week has been filled with questions. A change to how consoles verify content has caught players off guard, fueling speculation across forums and social media. Now, a new report is adding a twist to the conversation, suggesting that PlayStation’s new 30-day check-in DRM update may just be a bug.
PlayStation’s reported DRM update is allegedly a bug
The controversial 30-day check-in that sparked backlash among PlayStation owners might not be a deliberate move after all. Insiders are now claiming the reported DRM update is allegedly a bug, not a new layer of restrictions.
PlayStation 4 and 5 users recently reported a newly added timer for digital games, which appeared to indicate that licenses would expire without regular online authentication.
The issue was first flagged on X (formerly Twitter) by modder Lance McDonald. “Hugely terrible DRM has now been rolled out to all PS4 and PS5 digital games. Every digital game you buy now requires an online check-in every 30 days,” he posted. He explained that digital titles bought on or after April 25 would lose their license if a console stayed offline for 30 days. The post featured a screenshot of Don’t Starve displaying a newly added Remaining Time section.
Interestingly, the report adds that this only affects recently purchased digital games on PS5 and PS4. Older titles in players’ library won’t receive the new online DRM. However, many fans noted that the displayed timer was inconsistent and appeared in only a handful of games with no clear pattern.
Shortly after the issue surfaced, video game preservation site Does it play? weighed in on the matter. It reported hearing from an anonymous insider that the timer was actually just a bug. “From what we gathered, Sony accidentally broke something while fixing an exploit. They’ve known about the confusing UI for a while, but didn’t see it as urgent,” their X post read.
However, many noted that an accidental deployment still implies Sony was testing the concept, since the interface had already been built. Throughout the confusion, Sony has yet to provide an official comment regarding the issue.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
