Sony Eases PC Gaming: No PSN Link Required for Some Titles

Sony has announced a significant change in its approach to PC gaming, no longer requiring players to link a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to enjoy some of its titles. This shift, detailed in a recent PlayStation.Blog post, will begin with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PC. This move comes in response to feedback from the gaming community, which had expressed frustration with the mandatory account linking for PC ports. The policy change will affect several titles, including Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, God of War Ragnarök, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. It's uncertain whether this will extend to other single-player PC ports such as Until Dawn or Days Gone.

Despite dropping the account linking requirement, Sony remains keen on integrating PC gamers into its online ecosystem. To encourage this, the company is offering new incentives for those who choose to connect their PSN accounts. These perks 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 has hinted at future collaborations with developers under the PlayStation Studios banner to offer more benefits to players who sign up for a PSN account. However, there's no current information on whether this account requirement will be dropped for other PC games in their library. Beyond these new in-game bonuses, linking a PSN account also provides access to features like trophy support and friend management.

The response to Sony's PC gaming strategy has been mixed. While many gamers appreciate the opportunity to play previously console-exclusive titles, the mandatory PSN account linking has faced criticism, especially from players in regions where PSN services are unavailable. This led to significant backlash, notably within the Helldivers 2 community last May, when Sony initially required Steam users to connect a PSN account but reversed the decision shortly after due to community outcry.