There’s been a lot of rumors lately saying that the PS4 and the New Xbox would restrict users’ ability to buy and sell used games. Thankfully, it seems like those rumors were false, at least as far as the PS4 is concerned, anyway.
When asked about the issue by Eurogamer, Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida reassured everyone by confirming that the PS4 can still play used discs, and that Sony won’t use DRM to restrict players’ ability to buy, sell, and share their games. “[When customers] purchase physical form, they want to use it everywhere, right? So that’s my expectation,” Yoshida said, stating emphatically that “Used games can play on PS4.”
Last month it was discovered that Sony had patented a special kind of Blu-Ray disc that could only be played on the first console that it was used on, leading many to believe that the PS4 would use these discs to eliminate the possibility of playing used games on the system. Sony now says that the patent was for a different device entirely, and that the technology won’t be used with the PS4.
This is certainly welcome news for gamers (and Gamestop stock holders,) everywhere. I don’t buy many used games nowadays, but I still like to trade games in when I make the mistake of buying a dud, so I’m glad that Sony isn’t trying to kill the used games market. Here’s hoping we receive similar news about the New Xbox soon.
