I did not know this about DRM
- Thread starter starlight777
- Start date
Make sure your PS4 is set to primary and the system is disconnected from the internet via the settings.
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I'm sure be all will be games affected just as last generation. This system has in place because the license is transferable to other consoles. But I'll be checking to see what games and what days the console likes to check the DRM.
It has been nine days, I can still play all of my digital games. Bad Sony! 
14 days of offline, and I'm still gaming! Playing a little bit of Tomb Raider, BF4's campaign, and Dynasty Warriors. Started up Daylight for a second, and it still works too. I am currently playing Child of Light on NG+ in hopes to conquer the game yet again. I don't know about this DRM, but I like it! I never realized this has been what it takes. I will update again when I'm playing on my third straight week offline!
So, correct me if I'm wrong in my understanding:
- Digital games will check licenses when online, but work fine offline
- Disc-based games never check licenses
- The thing that happened to the guy who tweeted was due to a bug: he went online, it failed to check licenses on his digital purchases and gave invalid license error (i.e. he would have been fine if PSN wasn't bugged OR if offline)
Sounds correct, I've gone 3 days without Internet twice with the PS4 and didn't have a problem.
I think if this was what the thread starter seems to think it was, this would have been found, much, much, much earlier, and the outcry would be much, much, much bigger.
With PS4, the console still requires online checks your console even if your primary remains offline the whole time. Sony did not let such an easy loophole get by.
Are you sure? Disc based games have zero online DRM, no?
Man, I think I'll have to go over to Sony and try reading the full details of this online check stuff. It's making me nervous.
Here is how I figure it works..
- It dosn't matter if your PS4-system is primary or whatever, as long as you stick under 5 total PS-systems, and don't use the game on more systems.
If you use the game on more than five systems you'll probably get some trouble..
Setting your PS4 to primary system is mainly for controlling the sub-accounts, on that system.
All sub-accounts got access to primary PS4-owner's game-licenses, as long as primary owner bought the games/subscriptions, unless stated otherwise in parental control settings. :-/
- Licenses for disc-based games are stored on the disc.
- Licenses for digital games, are stored locally, aswell as serverside with your transaction history..
On PS3 you were able to check expiry of each title, by using the triangle, and select information. I would assume the same is the case by using the option-button and then select information, about the various games. But not at home now, and can't check.
- If you buy a game on PSN, I think it used to say licenses expired in year 2999, or somthing like that.
- If you get a free PS4-game via PS+ - then disconnect your PS4 as soon as you bought it, the license will say it will work until your curren end of PSN+ subscribtion, if you update your subscription before it runs out, it will update the licenses to the end of subscription date to all your PSN+ titles.
- If your PSN+ subscription expired while your system were offline, back in the PS3-days - sometimes you needed to redownload the game to update the license for it - if you had an expired license, and sometimes you just had to fix your subscription.
- I have no idea if that sometimes is still the case on PS4. :-/
- It dosn't matter if your PS4-system is primary or whatever, as long as you stick under 5 total PS-systems, and don't use the game on more systems.
If you use the game on more than five systems you'll probably get some trouble..
Setting your PS4 to primary system is mainly for controlling the sub-accounts, on that system.
All sub-accounts got access to primary PS4-owner's game-licenses, as long as primary owner bought the games/subscriptions, unless stated otherwise in parental control settings. :-/
- Licenses for disc-based games are stored on the disc.
- Licenses for digital games, are stored locally, aswell as serverside with your transaction history..
On PS3 you were able to check expiry of each title, by using the triangle, and select information. I would assume the same is the case by using the option-button and then select information, about the various games. But not at home now, and can't check.
- If you buy a game on PSN, I think it used to say licenses expired in year 2999, or somthing like that.
- If you get a free PS4-game via PS+ - then disconnect your PS4 as soon as you bought it, the license will say it will work until your curren end of PSN+ subscribtion, if you update your subscription before it runs out, it will update the licenses to the end of subscription date to all your PSN+ titles.
- If your PSN+ subscription expired while your system were offline, back in the PS3-days - sometimes you needed to redownload the game to update the license for it - if you had an expired license, and sometimes you just had to fix your subscription.
- I have no idea if that sometimes is still the case on PS4. :-/
I meant to say this for digital games only, not about disc games. Disc games have no online DRM so no worries there.
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Thanks guys, that makes sense. It makes me want to shy away from digital downloads, just a bit, for fear that years down the road, server issues may prevent me from playing what I paid for. I wonder if my xbox 360 will be the same. I might want to play it several years down the line but may not have an internet connection for it to check licenses etc.
Because as I told you, I've had it already happen several times before. All I am doing this test for is to find out how long before it checks me again.
So what was your final count, 3 weeks?
If you factor in a variance for when your console last checked, it averages out at 4 weeks. I guess a monthly check then?
No one knows when my console was last checked. That information is not known. So there just is no variance anyone can factor in. The best that can be said is "up to three weeks or potentially more." It's still a long time regardless. It surprised me pleasantly.
A wild New Material Seinfeld appears!!!
DRM!!! What's the deal with DRM!? It's all digital, but you need to be physical just to play it. Shouldn't it be PRM? You can't have the digital without the physical. Even the Matrix needs brain outlets to plug into. You can't be digital without the physical, but can we be physical without the digital? I don't even know anymore.
DRM!!! What's the deal with DRM!? It's all digital, but you need to be physical just to play it. Shouldn't it be PRM? You can't have the digital without the physical. Even the Matrix needs brain outlets to plug into. You can't be digital without the physical, but can we be physical without the digital? I don't even know anymore.
