PlayStation‘s recent updates to its online check-in requirements for digital games have provided what GameStop seems to see as the perfect fuel for an ad campaign to get customers into its stores. The PlayStation brand has upset a large portion of its player base with its online check-ins, and GameStop’s solution to buy more physical games could have some merit.
The sale of physical games hit a record low in 2025, as digital downloads continue the takeover of the industry that has been mounting for years on end. Reputable analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana found that annual spending on physical games had fallen by 11 percent when compared to 2024, with customers in the United States spending $1.5 billion on physical games, which is the lowest amount recorded since analysts began following the trend in 1995.
PlayStation DRM Controversy Explained
PlayStation recently added new DRM for digital PS4 and PS5 purchases, causing controversy among owners of Sony’s flagship consoles.
GameStop Capitalizes on PlayStation’s Digital Game Woes
The largest video game retail chain in the world, GameStop, now seems to be trying to turn that trend around with a new advertisement that takes aim specifically at the PlayStation brand. Showing a PS5 unit with a piece of masking tape near the disc tray and the words “NO LIMITS” written on it, the new ad encourages gamers to start buying more physical games with a special offer that will provide players a 10 percent discount when buying two to three games, 20 percent when buying four or five, and 30 percent when buying six or more in a single shopping trip.
Based on a PS5 console being used in its imagery, the catalyst behind this ad is clearly PlayStation’s new internet-based 30-day DRM check-in requirements for game licenses. That update was added to PS4 and PS5 systems in March, putting a 30-day timer on all new games downloaded to a unit. If the PlayStation Network cannot verify that a console has the proper licensing to run a game before the timer runs out, it would be rendered unplayable unless an official license for the game could be verified via an internet connection.
While this move by PlayStation seems intended to combat piracy and enforce digital rights management, it has also upset its customers for a number of reasons. Some have raised major concerns that they fear the loss of access to games that they paid for if they were to face a prolonged period of disconnection from the internet or the PlayStation Network. Many other preservationists see the recent PlayStation update as a further move away from players actually owning the games they purchase, a trend that has been combated for years by consumer movements like Stop Killing Games. The ad capitalizes on these concerns, stating, “If you own it, you should be able to play it anytime, anywhere, whether you are online or offline.”
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The new ad campaign seems like a major shift in tone from what the retailer was trying to push just a few months ago. In March, GameStop offered a trade-in deal under which customers could turn in their used PlayStation 5 units for a refurbished Xbox Series S console and up to $69 in cash or store credit. The mixed messaging comes from a fact that many fans pointed out at the time, which was that the Xbox Series S has no disc tray and can only play games that have been digitally downloaded or offered through cloud services. Some found that quite amusing, considering that GameStop’s business model has historically been built around the sale of used physical games.
