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 will allow publisher Sony to sell Lost Soul Aside in countries that aren't supported by PSN, boosting the game's overall reach and sales potential.
• Sony's decision to drop the PSN account linking rule for Lost Soul Aside may hint at a more flexible approach for PlayStation's PC games going forward.

Exciting news for fans of the upcoming action RPG, Lost Soul Aside: it appears that the PC version of this highly anticipated game will no longer require a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to play. This change, spotted just before its 2025 launch, is a significant shift from Sony's recent policy of mandating PSN account linking for their PC titles.

Lost Soul Aside, a standout from PlayStation's China Hero Project, has been in development for nearly a decade by the Shanghai-based studio UltiZeroGames. This hack and slash game, drawing inspiration from the likes of Devil May Cry and focusing on dynamic combat, has been fully funded and will be published by Sony on both PS5 and PC. However, Sony's decision last year to require PSN account linking for their PC games stirred controversy among the gaming community.

The absence of PSN support in over 100 countries has previously limited the sales and reach of Sony's PC games. By removing the PSN account requirement for Lost Soul Aside, Sony opens up the game to a broader audience, significantly enhancing its market potential. This decision became evident shortly after the game's latest gameplay trailer was released in December 2024, when the Steam page for Lost Soul Aside initially mentioned the PSN requirement but was updated to remove it the very next day.

Lost Soul Aside is the Second Sony-Published Game to Drop the PSN Account Linking Rule on PC

This move is a welcome relief for PC gamers eager to dive into Lost Soul Aside, especially those in regions without PSN support. It also marks a notable shift in Sony's approach to PC gaming, following the precedent set by the Helldivers 2 controversy, where the PSN account linking requirement was also dropped. This suggests that Sony may be reconsidering the strictness of this policy for their PC titles.

While the exact reasons behind Sony's decision remain unclear, it's speculated that the company aims to maximize the game's reach and player base. Previous PlayStation games on PC, such as God of War Ragnarok, saw reduced player counts on Steam following the introduction of the PSN account linking requirement, indicating potential market limitations.

This development not only enhances the accessibility of Lost Soul Aside but also signals a potentially more flexible future for PlayStation games on PC.