Sony Removes PSN Account Requirement for Some PC Games

Sony has made a notable change to its PC gaming strategy by announcing that players will no longer need to link a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to enjoy some of its popular titles on PC. This shift, detailed in a recent PlayStation.Blog post, will start with the upcoming release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC. Sony's move comes as a response to feedback from the gaming community, which expressed frustration over the mandatory account linking. The change will apply to several other titles including Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, God of War Ragnarök, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. However, it remains unclear how this decision might affect other single-player-focused PC ports like Until Dawn or Days Gone.

Despite dropping the PSN account requirement, Sony is keen on encouraging PC players to join its online ecosystem. The company has announced a series of incentives for those who choose to connect their PlayStation accounts. These bonuses include early unlocks for suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and resource bundles for games like God of War Ragnarök. Here’s a rundown of the announced PC incentives:

PlayStation in-game content incentives on PC: ---------------------------------------------

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 - Early unlock suits: the Spider-Man 2099 Black Suit and the Miles Morales 2099 Suit. God of War Ragnarök - Gain access to the Armor of the Black Bear set for Kratos at the first Lost Items chest in the Realm Between Realms (previously only accessible in a New Game+ run) and a resource bundle (500 Hacksilver and 250 XP). The Last of Us Part II Remastered - +50 points to activate bonus features and unlock extras. Jordan’s Jacket from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet as a skin for Ellie. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - Gain access to Nora Valiant outfit.

Sony plans to continue collaborating with developers within PlayStation Studios to introduce more benefits for those who opt into a PSN account. While there’s no word yet on whether this account-linking requirement will be removed from other PC games in Sony’s library, the company highlighted additional advantages of connecting an account, such as trophy support and friend management.

The reaction to Sony’s approach to PC gaming has been mixed. Many gamers are thrilled to officially access titles that were once exclusive to PlayStation consoles, but the mandatory PSN account linking faced significant criticism, especially from players in regions where PSN services are not available. This issue came to a head with the Helldivers 2 community last May, when Sony announced that Steam users would need to link a PSN account to play. Due to intense backlash, Sony quickly reversed this decision.