PSN Archives

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Sony Rolling Back Controversial First-Party Games Policy

Sony is reportedly lifting regional restrictions on its first-party PC games available on Steam, which previously required a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, limiting access for gamers in over 100 countries. Titles affected include God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. The recent release of Days Gone Remastered, which did not impose regional restrictions, suggests a broader policy shift. The PSN requirement has faced backlash, notably during the launch of Helldivers 2, leading to controversy and the dismissal of the game’s community manager. Additionally, the title Stellar Blade was initially unavailable in 132 countries due to the PSN requirement, but this restriction was lifted after discussions with Sony. An official statement from Sony regarding the removal of the PSN requirement has yet to be issued.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Sony Lifts Region Locks on Its PC Games, Including Helldivers 2, The Last of Us, More

Sony has lifted restrictions on its PC game catalogue on Steam, allowing a wider audience to access titles like God of War Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered without needing a PlayStation Network (PSN) account. However, some games, including Helldivers 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and Until Dawn, still require a PSN link for gameplay.

AppWizard

June 15, 2025

Sony unlocks regional restrictions for some PC games in more than 100 countries

Sony has removed regional restrictions on several popular PC titles available on Steam, allowing players in 177 countries to access games like God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. This change follows a backlash against a previous requirement for players to link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network (PSN), which barred access in regions without PSN. The PSN requirement has since been lifted for other titles, and the optional PSN login for Stellar Blade led to a successful launch with nearly 200,000 players in its first week. However, some titles, such as Ghost of Tsushima and Until Dawn, still have regional restrictions.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Sony quietly removes PC sale restrictions in dozens of countries for four huge PlayStation games

Sony has eased regional restrictions on several popular PC games, including God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2, as of June 13. The changes were noted on SteamDB, showing a reduction in the number of countries where these games are unavailable, with only the Russian Federation added to the list of restricted sales. This decision follows a backlash from a previous incident involving Helldivers 2, which was removed from sale in 177 countries due to a PSN requirement. Additionally, Sony's president, Hideaki Nishino, mentioned that the company is considering adjustments to the pricing of its PlayStation Plus service to maximize profitability through a dynamic pricing strategy.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

PlayStation Appears To Be Removing Region Restrictions For Its Games On PC

PlayStation is porting its first-party, console-exclusive games to PC, aiming to expand access to these titles. However, the strategy has faced challenges due to the requirement of linking Steam accounts with PlayStation Network accounts, which has restricted access to certain games in over 100 countries without PSN availability. The release of Helldivers 2 highlighted these accessibility issues, but recent reports indicate that PlayStation is lifting regional restrictions for several titles, including God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. The launch of Days Gone Remastered without regional locks suggests a shift towards a more inclusive approach, potentially ending the era of regional limitations for PlayStation games on PC.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

I’m glad Sony PlayStation finally got rid of PC game region locks

Sony has begun to reverse its policy of region-locking PC games, allowing titles such as Helldivers 2, God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to be purchased in previously restricted regions. This change follows backlash against the region locks implemented over a year ago, which had led to negative reactions from players. While many restrictions have been lifted, seven countries—Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam—remain blacklisted.

AppWizard

June 13, 2025

Sony removes regional restrictions on four of its biggest games on Steam

Sony has lifted regional restrictions on four major games on Steam, allowing players in various countries to access them freely. The games affected are God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2. Initially, Helldivers 2 required a PlayStation Network (PSN) sign-in, leading to its removal from sale in 177 countries without PSN access. In contrast, the upcoming Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, along with God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, will not require a PSN account, although regional restrictions still apply in countries without PSN services. PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst emphasized the importance of a careful approach to releasing PlayStation games on other platforms and the significance of single-player titles for showcasing console performance.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

‘We are doing our best to resolve most of it’: Stellar Blade’s PC release will be restricted in 130 countries as the devs fight to have it lifted

The PC release of Stellar Blade in June is facing region-lock issues affecting players in 130 countries, with six countries—Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, and Vietnam—having no price point listed. PlayStation Network (PSN) requirements have been controversial, with developers stating that PSN connection is optional, despite past titles facing restrictions leading to negative reviews. The disparity in game pricing across regions has led to exploitation by key resellers. Shift Up, the developer of Stellar Blade, is actively discussing the region lock issue with the publisher to resolve it.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Stellar Blade devs seem as confused as everyone else as the action-RPG’s PC port gets region locked in over 100 countries despite no PSN requirements: “May I ask where you live?”

Stellar Blade will be available on PC without requiring a PlayStation Network (PSN) account, but it is subject to region-locking limitations affecting over 100 countries, making it inaccessible to many potential players. This has led to frustration among users, as demonstrated by a tweet from a disappointed player. Shift Up, the game's developer, is engaging with users on Twitter to understand the situation better. While Sony has moved away from enforcing PSN requirements for its PC games, the region-locking issue persists in several recent releases, including The Last of Us 2 Remastered and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

AppWizard

May 16, 2025

Stellar Blade’s Upcoming PC Version Gets Criticized by Fans

The gaming community has shifted its focus from Shift Up, the developer of Stellar Blade, to Sony, the game's publisher, due to issues surrounding the game. This shift parallels last year's backlash against Sony during the launch of Helldivers II, where player discontent arose from the mandatory inclusion of PSN. The community is questioning the extent of Sony's responsibility for the current issues with Stellar Blade, and there is less than a month for the team to address these concerns. The situation could significantly impact the goodwill that Stellar Blade has garnered since its launch. The dialogue about publisher influence in game development is becoming increasingly relevant as the relationship between developers, publishers, and players remains complex.