PlayStation reminds players that they do not own their digital games with an email
, by Thibaut
Sony sent an email to its users that sparked a major reaction on social media. PlayStation players received a copy of the platform’s terms of service.
Amid the ongoing controversy over the phase-out of physical discs by January 2028, the Japanese company has added fuel to the fire. In the section titled "1.4 The License to you", the company reiterates that digital copies do not actually belong to the user.
“The software is licensed to you, not sold. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal license to play or use the Software for your private, non-commercial useon the system or device it was inteded for."*
To drive the point home, PlayStation adds that if a PSN account is banned or closed, all paid games will be lost along with it. The company also reserves the right to record chats, clips, and IP addresses. Videos shared by players may be freely reused by the company for advertising purposes.
It’s worth noting that none of this is new, but it’s sometimes good to be reminded of these points, especially in the current context.