New PlayStation 5 Policy Claims Physical Copies Of Games Cannot Be Resold

Although fairly old and often repeated across multiple PlayStation consoles, the PlayStation 5 game resale policy has also recently been updated to include the prohibition of reselling physical games. However, the statement has already garnered enough controversy due to misreadings by curious gamers. The unfolding rumors suggest that Sony has outright banned PS5 players from reselling their physical titles, which is far from the truth.

It is a legal and aged guideline that has often been added across many regions in a few Sony consoles, going back decades. The rule says that disc-based games cannot be resold unless Sony or any other publisher or studio authorizes it. Due to the nature of the guideline and many gamers not recognizing it, the users across the forums and Twitter have been in disarray regarding the statement, imagining the worst outcome.

You must not resell either disc-based games or digital games, unless expressly authorised by us and, if the publisher is another company, additionally by the publisher,” reads the guideline.

The guideline does not prevent a gamer from reselling their physical games, despite the wording pointing towards the harsh ban. This rule is never enforced by Sony and, as a result, would change nothing for any PlayStation 5 owner. In other words, you can still go ahead and resell your physical entries without a worry in the world. No lawyer or a lawsuit will come knocking at your door anytime soon. 

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So why is the rule even included when it does not affect gamers at all? The resale in this context seems to indicate buying and reselling for a profile, as clarified by one of Twitter users. This guideline is used to prevent scalpers and dirty businesses from sweeping the floor with reselling physical copies. Also, it is not unusual for the PlayStation 5 Terms of Services to be updated at random intervals.

Game companies are doing this for over 30 years,its even printed on every disc pic.twitter.com/am2Sn9X803

— Michael FFVII Rebirth (@Michael_Jambor) December 18, 2023

To put things into perspective, this law was first spotted for the PlayStation 1 back in 1994. Sony also forbade the reselling of physical games in a similar manner. All in all, we suggest taking the new regulation with a grain of salt. It has been added to specific regions, likely because of legal matters. But it will not have any impact on our gaming experience.