Sony Corporation has announced a relaxation for gamers playing the PC versions of its projects. It has removed the requirement for mandatory linkage to a PlayStation Network (PSN) account from at least four ports.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Using PSN is no longer mandatory in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, God of War: Ragnarök, The Last of Us: Part II Remastered, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.
Sony added that if a gamer does choose to log in to PSN, they will receive small bonuses, such as skins or resource packs.
The corporation did not clarify whether it plans to remove the mandatory PSN linkage requirement from other PC games in the future. It is also unclear whether Sony will start selling PC ports in regions where PSN is not supported.
Sony started requiring account linkage to PSN on PC in May 2024, stating that it was doing so for audience safety. Gamers were not pleased with this decision. For example, the addition of mandatory PSN linkage in the Steam version of Helldivers 2 and the subsequent removal of the game from sale in more than 180 countries led to mass review-bombing. However, in the case of Helldivers 2, the corporation quickly reversed this requirement for the game but retained it for subsequent PC releases.