Trending Now - Playstation Faces Backlash Over Controversial Digital License Policy
WHO:
VICE - PlayStation Support has acknowledged the existence of a 30-day online check-in DRM for PS5 digital games.
TechRadar - Sony is the company facing backlash from PlayStation fans.
Wccftech - Lance McDonald, a well-known modder, reported the new DRM policy.
Push Square - Spawn Wave conducted tests on the new DRM issue.
WHAT:
VICE - PlayStation Support acknowledged that new PlayStation 5 titles bought after April 2026 will crash and become unplayable if the user does not connect to the internet within 30 days.
Wccftech - A PlayStation Support assistant confirmed that the 30-day timer is not a bug and applies to all new purchases, stating, "The 30-Day Timer is being applied to all new purchases."
Push Square - YouTuber Spawn Wave confirmed that new PlayStation 5 digital games bought in April will crash if the 30-day timer runs out without connecting to the internet, displaying the error message: “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again.”
VICE - New PlayStation 5 titles bought after April 2026 will crash and become unplayable if the user does not connect to the internet within 30 days.
Wccftech - A PlayStation Support assistant confirmed that the 30-day timer is not a bug and applies to all new purchases.
Wccftech - A new online DRM policy for digital games requires a "Valid Period" tag showing a start date, an end date, and a countdown timer.
Wccftech - If the console does not connect to the internet within 30 days, the game's license expires and becomes unplayable until an online connection is restored.
Push Square - Newly purchased PS4 games display a validity period of 30 days.
Push Square - The error message displayed when a game cannot verify its license is: “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again.”
Wccftech - The 30-day requirement applies to all new purchases made after March 2026.
WHERE:
Wccftech - The DRM policy affects digital games purchased on the PlayStation Store.
WHEN:
Wccftech - The new DRM policy affects games purchased after March 2026.
Push Square - The issue first emerged in late March.
WHY:
Wccftech - The backlash is due to the perceived return of a DRM policy that Sony previously mocked in 2013.
HOW:
VICE - The error message displayed when a game cannot verify its license is: “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again.”
Wccftech - The DRM policy requires an online check-in every 30 days for digital games.
Push Square - The validity timer resets if the console connects to the internet after it expires.
(UPDATED April 28, 2026 23:16 UTC)
PlayStation Support has announced that new PlayStation 5 titles purchased after April 2026 will crash and become unplayable if users do not connect to the internet within 30 days. A support assistant confirmed that this 30-day timer is not a bug and applies to all new purchases, emphasizing, "The 30-Day Timer is being applied to all new purchases." YouTuber Spawn Wave also verified that digital games bought in April will display an error message if the timer expires without an internet connection, stating, “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again.”
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(UPDATED April 28, 2026 19:24 UTC)
PlayStation Support has confirmed that new digital games for the PS5, purchased after April 2026, will require users to connect online within 30 days or risk the games crashing and becoming unplayable. A support assistant clarified that this 30-day online check-in is not a bug and will apply to all new purchases. If a game cannot verify its license due to a lack of internet connection, players will see an error message stating, “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again.”
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(UPDATED April 28, 2026 17:30 UTC)
Sony is facing significant backlash from PlayStation fans over a new online DRM policy for digital games that requires a "Valid Period" tag, which includes a countdown timer and a start and end date. Under this policy, if a console does not connect to the internet within 30 days, the game's license expires and becomes unplayable until an online connection is restored, affecting all new purchases made after March 2026. Players have reported receiving an error message stating, “Can’t use this content. Can’t connect to the server to verify your license. Wait a while, then try again,” when unable to verify their licenses.