Sony: No PSN Account Required for Some PC Games

Sony has announced a significant change in its approach to PC gaming, opting to remove the requirement for players to link a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to play some of its PC titles. This shift comes into effect starting with the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC. The decision reflects Sony's response to feedback from the gaming community, who have expressed frustration over the mandatory account linking. The change will apply to 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 remains uncertain whether this policy will extend to other single-player PC ports like Until Dawn or Days Gone.

Despite dropping the mandatory PSN account linking, Sony is keen on encouraging PC gamers to join its online ecosystem. The company has introduced new incentives for those who choose to connect their accounts. These perks include early unlocks for suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and resource bundles for games like God of War Ragnarök. Below is a detailed list of the incentives currently available:

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 further collaboration with developers under the PlayStation Studios banner to offer more benefits to players who sign up for a PSN account. While there's no confirmation yet on whether other PC games in Sony's library will follow suit in dropping the PSN requirement, the company has emphasized that linking an account still provides additional benefits such as trophy support and friend management.

The response to Sony's PC gaming strategy has been varied. While many fans are thrilled to access previously console-exclusive titles, the mandatory PSN account linking has been a point of contention, especially for players in regions where PSN services are not available. This issue came to a head with the Helldivers 2 community last year when Sony initially required Steam users to connect a PSN account, only to reverse the decision shortly after due to significant backlash.