Sony Drops PSN Mandate for PC Game - News

Summary

Lost Soul Aside's PC version appears to have eliminated the contentious PSN account linking requirement ahead of its 2025 release.
This change enables publisher Sony to distribute Lost Soul Aside in regions without PSN support, broadening the game's market reach and sales opportunities.
Sony's decision to waive PSN account linking for Lost Soul Aside could indicate a more adaptable strategy for future PlayStation PC releases.

Recent evidence indicates that Lost Soul Aside, an upcoming Sony-published title, has removed its PlayStation Network account mandate for PC players. This development not only spares PC gamers from PSN account integration but also substantially increases the number of territories where Sony can market the game upon its 2025 launch.

Lost Soul Aside stands as one of the most eagerly awaited indie titles emerging from PlayStation's China Hero Project initiative. The hack-and-slash action RPG, drawing inspiration from Devil May Cry while emphasizing dynamic combat systems, has undergone nearly nine years of development by Shanghai-based UltiZeroGames. Sony has financed the project and will publish the game simultaneously on PS5 and PC platforms. The company's previous implementation of compulsory PSN account linking for PC PlayStation titles last year sparked considerable backlash from the PC gaming community.

With over 100 countries lacking PSN infrastructure, games requiring account linking face significant market restrictions, limiting both commercial potential and player accessibility. Lost Soul Aside now appears positioned to defy this pattern by eliminating PSN requirements on PC. Following the game's December 2024 gameplay trailer premiere, its Steam listing initially referenced PSN account requirements, but SteamDB records show this specification was removed within 24 hours.

Lost Soul Aside Becomes Second Sony Title to Remove PC PSN Linking Mandate

This policy reversal brings welcome news for prospective PC players in PSN-unsupported regions while marking a significant evolution in PlayStation's PC distribution strategy. The only previous exception to Sony's linking policy occurred during the Helldivers 2 controversy, after which PSN integration was presumed mandatory for all PlayStation PC releases. Lost Soul Aside's exemption demonstrates Sony's potential willingness to exercise flexibility in its platform requirements.

Though Sony's specific reasoning remains undisclosed, industry observers suggest the move aims to maximize Lost Soul Aside's global audience. PlayStation's PC titles have demonstrated diminished performance since implementing PSN linking requirements, with God of War Ragnarok attracting less than half the Steam concurrent players of its predecessor.