Sony Title Goes DRM-Free on PC

Lost Soul Aside: PSN Account Linking Requirement Removed for PC Release

Lost Soul Aside, the highly anticipated Sony-published action RPG, will launch on PC in 2025 without the controversial PlayStation Network (PSN) account linking requirement. This significant change expands the game's potential market significantly.

Initially, the PSN linking mandate, implemented for PlayStation PC games in the previous year, sparked considerable backlash. This is because over 100 countries lack PSN support, severely limiting sales and player access for games requiring it. However, Lost Soul Aside appears to be exempt.

Developed by UltiZeroGames, a Shanghai-based studio, Lost Soul Aside emerged from PlayStation's China Hero Project. The Devil May Cry-inspired title has been in development for nearly nine years and will release on both PS5 and PC. Sony's funding and publishing role initially seemed to necessitate the PSN link, but this has been reversed.

The change was noted after the December 2024 gameplay trailer release. Lost Soul Aside's Steam page initially mentioned the PSN requirement, but this was swiftly removed the following day, as evidenced by SteamDB update history.

Lost Soul Aside Joins Helldivers 2 in Breaking the PSN Linking Trend

This decision will undoubtedly please PC gamers in regions without PSN access. It also marks a noteworthy shift in PlayStation's PC gaming strategy. Only Helldivers 2 previously saw Sony reverse a similar PSN linking requirement after facing player criticism. This suggests Sony may be adopting a more flexible approach.

While Sony's reasoning remains unclear, maximizing player reach is a likely factor. Previous PlayStation PC releases, following the PSN linking mandate, underperformed. God of War Ragnarök, for example, saw significantly fewer Steam players compared to its predecessor. This suggests that the PSN linking requirement may have negatively impacted sales.