PS5 Confirmed to Be Affected by Game Expiry Issue, Sony Support Sends Mixed Messages on DRM

by

Update #3 [Tue 28th Apr 2026, 12:30pm]:

We’re deep into Tuesday now and still no comment from Sony on its reported DRM issues.

We’ve confirmed that recently purchased software on both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 is being incorrectly flagged with a 30-day expiry. It’s currently unclear whether this is a bug or an intended feature.

However, a slew of statements from customer support have started circulating on social media.

Some evidence suggests the 30-day check-in was deliberately added after an update in March 2026, while other findings are not as clear.

It’s always a good idea to be cautious when reading responses from customer support. While the information might seem straightforward, remember that you could be interacting with a chatbot, or an agent who isn’t knowledgeable about this specific issue.

Once again, we’ll push for a statement from the platform holder and will update when we hear back.

Update #2 [Tue 28th Apr 2026, 12am]:

There was some uncertainty about whether Sony’s reported new digital rights management (DRM) system would impact the PlayStation 5. This system would supposedly require users to connect to the internet every 30 days to confirm they have legitimate copies of their games.

This is different from the PS4 because the game details don’t tell you when the software will stop working.

But Spawn Wave has put together a brilliant video, confirming this issue also applies to the PS5.

He reviewed four games: Saint Slayer and Vampire Crawlers, both bought digitally today, Crimson Desert, which he bought digitally about a month ago, and Pragmata, a physical copy.

The four games launch without issues whether the console is connected to the internet or playing offline.

To trick the console’s system clock, he takes out the CMOS battery in his PS5 Pro. After doing this, the games Saint Slayer and Vampire Crawlers won’t start. Crimson Desert does launch, although it displays a lock icon, and Pragmata runs normally.

You’re seeing an error message that says, “Can’t use this content. We couldn’t connect to our servers to check your license. Please try again later.”

All four games operate as usual when he reconnects to the Internet.

We have several concerns, but the biggest one is that Sony appears to have added a new type of digital rights management (DRM) technology. We’ve reached out to Sony for clarification, but haven’t heard back yet.

Okay, so this feels like a pretty serious bug, and honestly, it’s making me worry about the future of my games. Basically, if my CMOS battery dies and Sony ever shuts down their servers, all the games I’ve bought digitally would just… disappear. It’s a real concern about keeping my purchases safe long-term, and it needs to be fixed.

Just to be clear, your game licenses won’t be taken away if you don’t check in, and this issue only applies to games you’ve recently bought.

However, there’s enough evidence mounting now to demand a comment from the company.

Update #1 [Mon 27th Apr 2026, 1:15pm]:

We’re updating this article on Monday afternoon and are still awaiting a response from Sony regarding the reported DRM issue with the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

We explained the issues at the beginning of the weekend, and there haven’t been any significant updates since. We’ve reached out to Sony for a statement but haven’t heard back from them yet.

But a new video from Modded Warfare does provide a pretty good summary of the problem.

Currently, this problem seems to only affect brand new PS4 games. It’s still unclear if PS5 games are also affected.

The video demonstrates that new software needs to connect to PlayStation Network (PSN) every 30 days to confirm it’s legitimate. Removing the console’s CMOS battery causes these games to become unplayable.

Connecting your console to the internet will reset the timer, but this creates a worry: if Sony stops running its servers one day, the game’s preservation could be at risk.

We don’t yet know if this is a mistake or a deliberate attempt to restrict access, and we’ll need a statement from the platform owner to be sure.

We’ll continue to push the company for a statement and will update when we get word back.

Many PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 owners are worried today because of claims that Sony has added a new type of DRM. This DRM seems to indicate that purchased games might stop working after 30 days.

It’s worth noting that the information we have so far isn’t consistent, the company hasn’t officially responded, and some reports indicate the problem may have already been fixed.

Here’s what we know so far:

  • Some newly purchased PS4 games have started to display a validity period of 30 days.
  • Based on our testing, the issue only appears to be affecting PS4 games purchased within the last few weeks.
  • We’ve been unable to replicate the disclaimer on a PS5, although some on social media claim they’ve seen the message there as well.

We’ve seen reports that the timer restarts if you go online after it finishes, but we haven’t been able to verify this ourselves.

We’ve also seen reports saying your console license will be completely canceled if you don’t connect it to the internet before it expires, but we haven’t been able to verify this claim. If it’s true, it would likely be illegal.

The Issue First Emerged in Late March

Rumors about this began appearing in late March, but they only recently gained traction on social media.

A comparable problem happened with the PS3 and PS Vita in 2022, but it was successfully fixed.

A game preservation account called Destruction Games says that if the battery in your console dies or is taken out, certain games won’t start if they check for a valid date and time.

You may recall there was a big hullabaloo around this in 2021, which Sony actually fixed.

The CMOS battery keeps your console’s date and time settings saved, and it’s also used to verify when you’ve earned trophies. Like all batteries, it doesn’t last forever and will eventually need to be replaced.

Replacing this part is simple, but older PS4 software used to require a connection to PlayStation Network to confirm the correct date and time after the replacement.

People worried that if the PlayStation Network ever shut down in the future, a necessary connection process would become impossible, making all games unplayable.

Sony fixed this problem with software update 9.00, so it’s surprising to see it reappear after five years.

It Could Be a Bug

Some Reddit users have noticed that a display showing how long their games were valid recently disappeared, suggesting it was available before.

The website Does It Play, which tests if software works without an internet connection, reports that a source familiar with the situation believes the problem is not intentional.

According to reports, Sony unintentionally caused a problem while trying to fix a security flaw. They were aware of the confusing user interface, but didn’t consider it a high priority issue.

Wait for More Information from Sony

Our view on this is that it’s very likely an error.

We recognize people are understandably frustrated and worried about this issue. However, the reports we’re receiving are all over the place, suggesting it’s not a widespread, intentional problem. As we’ve explained, some users are experiencing an error while others aren’t, and it seems to only affect recently purchased software on the PlayStation 4.

Look, I’m always quick to point out problems with console makers if they mess up, and if this is some new DRM, I’ll be right there with the criticism. But honestly, there’s so much confusing stuff going around online right now, and the company hasn’t said anything official. So, let’s all just take a deep breath and wait for some real information before jumping to conclusions, okay?

In the meantime, we’ll contact Sony for comment and update if and when we hear back.

Read More

2026-04-28 15:09