It seems that Sony has carried out a brand new characteristic requiring PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 homeowners to connect with the web each 30 days to resume the license on digital video games they’ve bought. Gamers who’ve stumbled into this odd characteristic are saying all PlayStation Retailer purchases made after March 2026 now characteristic a 30-day timer displaying how lengthy gamers have till they have to connect with the web and renew the sport’s license. Gamers who fail to take action inside the time restrict will lose the power to play current digital purchases till the sport’s license is renewed by way of web connection. Sony hasn’t made any official bulletins about this–it’s attainable it could possibly be a bug–but GameStop is already capitalizing on the dangerous press surrounding Sony’s digital sport license timers.
“Play actually has no limits at GameStop,” the corporate shared in a current X post referencing the PS5’s ‘Play Has No Limits’ tagline. “We imagine that video games ought to work for gamers, not in opposition to them. In the event you personal it, you need to be capable of play it anytime, wherever, whether or not you might be on-line or offline.”
Urging gamers to “begin an actual assortment you may play, share, and commerce,” GameStop is providing a deal the place clients can get a ten% low cost when buying two to a few preowned video games, a 20% low cost when buying 4 to 5, or a whopping 30% when buying six or extra preowned bodily titles.
Curiously, this deal seems to use to everyone–no month-to-month GameStop membership required. Nevertheless it’s solely out there for a short while. Per the fantastic print on the picture shared in GameStop’s X submit, this deal ends on Might 5.
This is not the primary time GameStop has taken benefit of a PS5-related controversy in current months. Again in March, the gaming retailer provided particular trade-in offers for customers seeking to improve to a PS5 Professional earlier than Sony elevated the worth of all PS5 fashions on April 2.
As for Sony, it is nonetheless unclear whether or not these digital license timers are a bug or a characteristic, however it’s attainable they could possibly be tied to Sony’s plans to remodel the PlayStation Community. Earlier this month, the PS5 producer additionally introduced plans for a world age verification rollout, revealing that customers who don’t confirm their age can be unable to entry messaging and voice chat by the tip of 2026.