Following initial reports of a 30-day online validation for PS4 digital games, new tests confirm the requirement applies to PS5 as well. Spawn Wave demonstrated PS5 failure after CMOS battery removal, while PlayStation support agents give conflicting explanations. Sony remains silent on the anti-piracy measure.
The PlayStation 30-day digital rights management issue, first highlighted on April 24-25 by Modded Hardware, Lance McDonald, and DoesItPlay (as previously covered), has escalated with PS5 confirmation. Kotaku reported on April 25 that PS4 digital games display a 'Valid Period' counter on firmware version 13.50, expiring without a server check.
Jonathan Downey of Spawn Wave tested a recent PS5 digital purchase by removing the console's CMOS battery, which resets the system clock. The game refused to launch until reconnected online, verifying the timer functions identically on PS5.
User inquiries on X to PlayStation support yielded mixed responses: some agents labeled it a bug, others a deliberate feature—though agents do not represent official Sony policy. The homebrew community views this as targeted anti-piracy enforcement against modded systems, potentially mandating future updates.
Sony has not responded to media requests, leaving questions about whether this is intentional DRM, a bug from exploit fixes, or something else amid concerns over game ownership.
