Skip to main content

Sony confirms the PS4 will play used games

PS4Leading up to the PlayStation press event, one of the most asked questions in regards to the PS4’s capabilities wasn’t what its power was like or what its online connectivity would be, but rather would it play used games. This stems from an old rumor – or more likely rumors – that can probably trace their origins to as far back as when the first online passes required people to pay to take used games online. But then in January a patent filed by Sony clearly showed that the manufacturer was at least exploring the option of blocking used games. The Internet erupted.

Yoshida
Shuhei Yoshida Image used with permission by copyright holder

Everyone from anonymous commenters to the CFO of GameSpot had an opinion on the matter. But until the PS4 was officially confirmed, it was all speculation. That speculation can now be put to rest, as Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios has confirmed that the PS4 hardware will play any PS4 discs.

“When you purchase the disc based games on PS4, that should work on any hardware,” Yoshida confirmed.

That should put that controversy to rest. Of course, publishers may still decide to add things like online passes, but that is nothing new.

The ball is now firmly in Microsoft’s court. Rumors of the next Xbox blocking used games have been equally prevalent. If Microsoft does follow through – and to be fair there is no evidence that it will beyond rumors – then Sony have have just gained a huge advantage.  

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Loved Fallout on Amazon Prime? Get Fallout 4 for PC for only $8
A raider standing outside nuka-world in Fallout 4.

If you haven't turned on your TV recently, then you may not know about the Fallout show that was just released and one that we already consider more impressive than The Last of Us, which is saying a lot. The show is based on the games, and this surge of popularity has driven a lot of people to pick up the last game single-player game in the series, Fallout 4, to the point where even the studio that made it, Bethesda, is releasing a next-gen update for it. So, if you've never played it before and want to pick it up or want to revisit the world of Fallout but on PC, you can grab this deal from CDkeys that discounts it way down to just $8 from the usual $50.

Why you should buy Fallout 4
While there are a lot of great Fallout games, with one of the favorites among fans being Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 is still highly ranked, and if you're looking for a great single-player experience of the world with modern graphics, that's the one to go for. The world is truly massive in size, and there's an absolute ton for you to explore, with the character development and customization being pretty excellent, and while the story is a little bit predictable and derivative of older Fallout games, it's still enjoyable overall. Probably one of the biggest updates to the Fallout formula is the new crafting and settlement systems, which let you build . . . well, a settlement of your own making.

Read more
Best PlayStation Plus Deals: Save on Essential, Plus and Premium
Best PS Plus deals

While the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 are excellent consoles, especially for those who don't want to invest in a gaming PC, you tend to lose out on a lot if you don't have one of Sony's online subscriptions. You see, a PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) subscription offers, is access to online multiplayer, and without it, you can't connect to online servers and play with other folks, which is a bit frustrating. Luckily, a PS Plus membership does offer some additional features, such as free games every month and access to some older PS games, all of which depend on which of the three tiers you subscribe to: Essential, Extra, and Premium.
What is PlayStation Plus?
Along with online multiplayer and other in-game network features, a PlayStation Plus Essential membership grants you access to exclusive discounts and other promotions. Perhaps the most notable benefit of PlayStation Plus is that every month, Sony gives subscribers one PlayStation 5 and two PlayStation 4 games that are free to download. You have one month to add these free PlayStation Plus games to your library.

After that, these titles are yours to keep so long as you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. The free-to-download games are generally pretty good (they are often some of the best PS4 games that have been out for a little while), and these alone justify the cost of PS Plus even for people who don't do a lot of online gaming.

Read more
Best video game deals: PlayStation 5, Xbox S and X, Nintendo Switch

If you've recently bought yourself a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or  Nintendo Switch, then you might want to fill out your library with a bunch of great games. While there is a huge catalog to pick from, we've gone out and found our favorite game deals, with many of the games below showing up on our list of best PS5 games, best Xbox Series X games, or best Nintendo Switch games. So, whether you just got one of these consoles, or exhausted your already existing library, be sure to check out all the deals below.

Best PS5 game deals
Deathloop -- $26, was $60

Read more