Rita Deutschbein Managing Editor

April 30, 2026, 11:03 am | Read time: 3 minutes

After the system update in March 2026, several PlayStation users, including Lance McDonald on X (via Play3), reported noticeable changes in digitally purchased games. Their rights must be regularly “verified,” which requires an internet connection.

Here you will find content from third-party providers

To interact with or display third-party content, we need your consent.

Activate

In order to display embedded content, your consent to the processing of personal data, which can be revoked at any time (via the switch or via “Revoke tracking and cookies” at the bottom of the page), is required. Data may be transferred to third countries such as the USA (Art. 49 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). By switching to “on” you agree. You can find more information here.

After verification, games for the PS4 apparently display an expiration date in the overview, by which the title’s rights must be confirmed again. The release is usually granted for 30 days at a time. Games installed before the update seem unaffected by the change, according to reports. Whether this changes after a reinstallation is still unclear.

Users have observed similar restrictions on the PlayStation 5. While the PS4 shows a specific expiration date, the PS5 does not. Instead, a title affected by the deadline cannot be started and reports an error. Even setting the console as the primary device, which should allow offline play, does not prevent this behavior.

However, the issue does not affect all users. While some observe the described restrictions, others notice no changes in their game list.

Insiders Call It an Unintentional Error

This suggests that the observed change is not a generally tightened copy protection by Sony but rather an error. According to the X account “Does it Play” and citing an anonymous insider, a security update may have unintentionally affected the license verification of digital PlayStation games. The background is said to be the fixing of a critical security vulnerability discovered in early 2026.

Here you will find content from third-party providers

To interact with or display third-party content, we need your consent.

Activate

In order to display embedded content, your consent to the processing of personal data, which can be revoked at any time (via the switch or via “Revoke tracking and cookies” at the bottom of the page), is required. Data may be transferred to third countries such as the USA (Art. 49 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). By switching to “on” you agree. You can find more information here.

Thus, a mechanism usually used for subscription content might mistakenly be applied to regularly purchased games.

Also of interest: Why PlayStation Fans Now See Different Prices

Sony Offers Reassurance–but Questions Remain

According to the portal “Game File,” Sony has commented on the allegations and at least partially reassured users. According to statements to several U.S. media outlets, only a one-time online check is necessary to obtain a permanent license for a game. Further regular verifications are not intended. Players can continue to use their purchased titles as usual, even offline.

The previously displayed 30-day periods apparently caused confusion. Observers suspect that this is either a faulty display or a temporary mechanism–perhaps related to return rights or security measures against possible exploits. However, open questions remain: When exactly does this one-time check occur, and has anything really changed in the previous process? Sony has yet to answer these questions.