Sony backs down on PlayStation Network login requirement for PC games

Sony made a lot of PC gamers happy when it started bringing some choice PlayStation-exclusive franchises to the PC…then made a lot of them angry by requiring a PlayStation Network account to play them. This backlash started last year with Helldivers 2, but after a quick retreat, Sony insisted PSN logins would be standard going forward. It looks like Sony has relented, at least on some PC games.

According to a PlayStation blog post (spotted by The Verge), PSN account logins are now optional for the studio’s biggest single-player PC games, including Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. You’ll be able to purchase, download, and play these games from stores like Steam without needing any connection to an existing Sony account.

If you do choose to log in with a PSN account, you’ll get some extra goodies. Examples given in the post include exclusive costumes and in-game items, or early access to these items if they’re otherwise unlocked through progressing in the game. Sony’s using a carrot, not a stick to incentivize players to engage with its proprietary platforms on PC.

It’s worth pointing out that Sony has made this announcement for only four specific games, all of which are single player. It seems likely that Sony will insist upon connecting to the PlayStation Network for upcoming multiplayer releases. LEGO Horizon Adventures, the publisher’s latest PC title and which features an online co-op mode, still requires a PSN login according to Steam.

Given how insistent the company has been on this topic before, I’d be surprised if this is the last adjustment to policy we see for Sony PC games.