While countless PC gamers have come to enjoy the plethora of PlayStation exclusives that have been ported to Steam and other storefronts in recent years, a policy that Sony recently began enforcing has angered many in the community: PlayStation Network (PSN) requirements. Since last year, the firm has made signing up for one and using it while playing mandatory for nearly all newly released PlayStation Studios titles.
This began last May, when Sony began requiring PSN accounts for new and existing Helldivers 2 players alike, leading to an uproar that eventually saw the firm backpedal. But while Arrowhead Game Studios’ co-op shooter didn’t require PSN accounts anymore, Sony quickly started asking for them in new ports like Ghost of Tsushima, and even prevented players in the 100+ regions where PSN is not available from purchasing those games. And despite constant protests from PC players, the company hasn’t budged on the matter…at least, not until now.
On Wednesday, Sony announced that four PlayStation games on PC will no longer require PSN accounts in order to play them. Specifically, these titles include Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (releasing tomorrow on January 30), God of War Ragnarök, The Last of Us Part II Remastered (coming April 3, 2025), and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered; without PSN requirements, all of these will presumably become available to all players globally, though that will require Sony relisting them for sale in the territories where you can’t sign up.
“An account for PlayStation Network will become optional for these titles on PC,” reads a statement from PlayStation’s senior vice president head of publishing Asad Qizilbash in a new article. “Players who still opt to sign into a PlayStation Network account will also enjoy added benefits like trophies and friend management.”
Sony’s decision to walk its policy back for these games came within a larger post about benefits it’s going to offer to people who do use PSN to play them. The bonuses you’ll get in each game for signing in with a PSN account are listed in the table below:
| Game | PSN bonuses |
|---|---|
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Early unlock suits: the Spider-Man 2099 Black Suit and the Miles Morales 2099 Suit |
| God of War Ragnarök | Gain access to the Armor of the Black Bear set for Kratos at the first Lost Items chest in the Realm Between Realms (previously only accessible in a New Game+ run) and a resource bundle (500 Hacksilver and 250 XP) |
| The Last of Us Part II Remastered | +50 points to activate bonus features and unlock extras. Jordan’s Jacket from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet as a skin for Ellie |
| Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered | Gain access to Nora Valiant outfit |
Ultimately, it looks like Sony is shifting to try and entice PC players to use PSN instead of forcing them to, which is probably what it should have been doing from the get-go in order to avoid drawing the ire of the community.
Notably, the publisher says it’s starting its benefit offers with these four games, but plans to bring more to players in the future.
“Game creators at PlayStation Studios will continue to work on bringing more benefits to players who sign up for a PlayStation Network account, so be sure to follow studio channels for more information. You can find more details on account sign-in at our website,” wrote Qizilbash, linking to Sony’s official guide on PSN usage on PC. “Thank you to our PlayStation PC fans around the world for your support.”
Overall, it’s great to see Sony change its mind about its PSN policy, and I’m hoping it won’t be long before the firm makes it optional to sign up for an account in other PlayStation games on PC, too. With any luck, the requirements will be lifted across PlayStation Studios’ full library in short order; titles like Ghost of Tsushima and Until Dawn still require one, after all, and that’s stopping a ton of players from enjoying them. And hey, if you live somewhere where PSN is available and you don’t mind using it, you’ll likely be able to snag yourself some extra in-game goodies.
