Sony's New PC Game No Longer Requires PSN Account

Summary

• Lost Soul Aside's PC version has seemingly removed the controversial PSN account linking requirement ahead of its 2025 launch.
• This change will enable publisher Sony to sell Lost Soul Aside in countries not supported by PSN, enhancing the game's global reach and sales potential.
• Sony's decision to waive the PSN account linking rule for Lost Soul Aside could signal a more adaptable approach for PlayStation's PC games in the future.

Exciting news has emerged for fans of the highly anticipated indie game, Lost Soul Aside. Recent evidence suggests that the PC version of this upcoming Sony-published title has dropped the requirement for a PlayStation Network (PSN) account link. This means that when Lost Soul Aside launches in 2025, PC players won't need to connect a PSN account, significantly broadening the game's availability to regions where PSN isn't supported.

Developed by the Shanghai-based studio UltiZeroGames over nearly nine years, Lost Soul Aside is a product of PlayStation's China Hero Project. This hack and slash action RPG, inspired by the likes of Devil May Cry, promises dynamic combat and has been eagerly awaited by fans. Sony, which has funded the game's development, plans to publish it on both PS5 and PC. However, last year's introduction of mandatory PSN account linking for PlayStation games on PC met with significant backlash from the gaming community.

With over 100 countries lacking PSN support, this requirement previously limited the sales and reach of PC games. But it seems Lost Soul Aside is set to break from this trend. After the game's latest gameplay trailer was released in December 2024, and its Steam page went live, the initial mention of a PSN account requirement was quickly removed, as evidenced by SteamDB's update history.

Lost Soul Aside marks the second Sony-published game to drop the PSN account linking mandate on PC, following the controversy surrounding Helldivers 2. This development not only offers relief to PC gamers in regions without PSN support but also hints at a potential shift in Sony's strategy for its PC titles.

The motives behind Sony's decision to allow Lost Soul Aside's PC version to bypass the PSN account requirement remain unclear. However, it's speculated that Sony aims to maximize the game's player base. The performance of recent PlayStation games on PC, such as God of War Ragnarok, which saw a lower player count on Steam compared to its predecessor, may have influenced this move. By removing the PSN account linking barrier, Sony could be looking to boost the appeal and accessibility of its PC offerings.