Sony confirms the PS4 will play used games

By Ryan Fleming February 21, 2013

Leading 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

Topics

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…

Gaming

This creepy game is a picture-perfect throwback to PS1 horror

Mara walks through an amusement park in Crow Country.

Have you ever found yourself thinking that old video games used to be scarier?

I know I'm in that boat. Nothing creeps me out more than the original Resident Evil or Silent Hill 2. Some newer games might hit me with some extra jump scares, but many titles that really stick in my mind tend to be from older eras. There's one obvious reason for that: I was younger and dumber then. But that only tells half the story. There's something undeniably creepy about 1990s horror games made before the days of photorealism. It's hard to put a severed finger on it, but a new indie game might help.

Gaming

Should you play Hades 2 in early access or wait for the full game?

Melinoe fighting under a full moon in Hades 2.

After what felt like a much longer wait than it really was, Hades 2 is out now in early access. PC players can dive into the roguelike sequel right now and start their war against Chronos. Not everyone is rushing to buy their copy, though. Since its release, I've seen a common question across social media and my own personal circles: "Should I play it now or wait for 1.0?"

It's a great question. Personally, I rarely ever play games in early access. I'd much rather prefer to wait for a game's full release so I can play the feature-complete version all at once. I intended to do the same with Hades 2, especially since it's more narrative driven than your average roguelike, but I made a rare exception here. Call me weak, but the good news is that I can now answer that burning question: Should you play Hades 2 now or later? You won't be let down either way.
Should you play early access or not?
If you're skeptical about early access, I don't blame you. The term generally implies that a game is incomplete in key ways, which can lead to an unfulfilling experience. This year's surprise hit Palworld is an extreme example of that. While it hooked players right out of the gate, the early access version was fairly bare bones. That led to a major player drop-off as developer Pocketpair, Inc. looked to staff up to keep up with demand. Roguelikes tend to be especially unsatisfying in early access too. Rogue Legacy 2 initially launched with a limited taste of a full run, including only four character classes. You were better off waiting for 1.0 unless you actively wanted to help shape the game.

Gaming

Before you play Homeworld 3, try this VR game as a primer

Two fleets fight in Homeworld: Vast Reaches.

Homeworld 3 launches next week, but there's a game Homeworld fans who own a Meta Quest 2 or 3 should check out right now. Homeworld: Vast Reaches, which came to Meta's VR headsets on May 2, is a prequel set between the events of the first two Homeworld games. This VR game offers up the core Homeworld experience in a novel niche of the video game medium.

It's not as deep or complex as Homeworld 3 looks, but it doesn't need to be. Vast Reaches immerses players in the franchise's universe once again and reacquaints them with the basics of its real-time strategy combat ahead of a highly anticipated new entry on PC. As such, checking out Vast Reaches should make this last week of waiting for Homeworld 3 a little less painful.
Homeworld, but in VR
Homeworld: Vast Reaches was developed by FarBridge, who has previously worked on VR games like Walkabout Mini Golf, Dragon Fight VR, and Jar Wars. Made with Gearbox Entertainment's support and blessing, it boils Homeworld down to its core elements and rebuilds it in VR. Players control a new Fleet Command connected to Karan S'jet's Mothership, which is the conceit behind how players view battles.