It's Official: PS4 Will Not Feature Used Game DRM Like Xbox One

[Update #2: Sony has re-clarified that there will be no disc-based DRM on the PS4]

[Update: Microsoft confirms the Xbox One DRM policies]

This is a crazy bit of news because it's not actually new but Sony went ahead and kind of circled everyone back around to an earlier point they made regarding used games and DRM. Hence, the company is answering new questions retroactively and confirm that the PS4 won't have any built-in blocks against used games. Put that Angry Joe rant away, because you won't need it for the PS4.

Kotaku [via Maxconsole] had a few questions about the PlayStation 4 and its used game DRM as well as always-online functionality. Kotaku contacted Sony directly and a representative for Sony pointed Kotaku back to one of their own articles, reiterating statements made by Sony's top dog studio chief, Shuhei Yoshida, where Kotaku originally published this info back in February...

Kotaku promptly apologized to gamers for not having caught it earlier. Kind of crazy...these witch hunts, eh? You kind of lose sight of important info that nulls and voids the whole witch hunt in the first place. Ah, crazy kids.

I'm betting a lot of people are feeling awfully silly for having missed such an important piece of info buried under all that Microsoft rage. I wonder if Sony will blame gaming media for not digging through their archives the way Microsoft blamed gaming media for their executives giving out inaccurate and incomplete info?

Anyway, this already makes it clear that if publishers want to DRM-up the PS4 they'll have to use third-party means to do so, which actually has nothing to do with the PS4 or Sony (e.g., sort of like how Ubisoft uses Uplay DRM for games on Steam or EA used to use Online Passes).

This clears up a few things:

1.) The PlayStation 4 can play games offline without having to be online. This was clarified the day of the PS4's reveal back on February 20th.

2.) Sony will not have any mandatory DRM for used games. You can buy, play, trade used games on the PlayStation 4 just as usual. No additional registration fees, pay-walls or internet registration required.

3.) If you so choose, you can play games from disc, download them from the digital store or remote load them. Sony doesn't mandate any method over the other for multi-format titles.

4.) Just for extra clarification the PlayStation 4 does not and will not require a constant always-on internet connection.

So basically what we have here is a collage of previous statements confirming Sony's stance on the gaming market: They support you, the gamers.

Keep in mind that we're not totally in the clear regarding used game DRM for any console, including the Wii U. Third-party publishers may use the opportunity to go overboard one way or another and so, sadly, just like Master Chief and his unending fight with a bunch of aliens that all look alike, the fight isn't finished.

While I don't know if it's still necessary to keep tweeting #PS4NoDRM at Sony, it certainly wouldn't hurt to use NeoGaf's momentum to direct the attention toward third-party publishers. I doubt they'll like the sentiment because of greed and all, but so far Sony seems to be building up the PlayStation 4 to be as good a console as the PlayStation 2, barring greedy pulbishers.

And just so we can finally end this argument of comparisons: The PlayStation 4 will not have built-in used game DRM like the Xbox One. #Dealwithit

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