Sony Lifts Regional Restrictions on PC Games

It turns out that region-locking games can hinder sales potential. Recently, it was discovered by Wario64 that Sony has lifted regional restrictions for several of its titles available on PC through Steam. Although Sony has not officially announced the removal of these region locks or the reasons behind this decision, popular titles such as God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and the co-op shooter Helldivers 2 can now be purchased in 177 countries that were previously restricted, as indicated in database changelogs.

Background on Regional Restrictions

To understand why Sony initially limited sales of its games in certain countries, we must revisit the announcement regarding Helldivers 2. The video game publisher required PC players to link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network (PSN). This controversial requirement effectively barred players in regions without PSN access from purchasing the game, leading to the removal of Helldivers 2 from sale in those locations. Sony faced criticism quickly backtracked for this decision and later removing the PSN requirements implemented similar restrictions for other titles, including Spider-Man 2.

Recent Developments

More recently, the PC release of Stellar Blade on June 11 highlighted the ongoing issues surrounding Sony’s PSN login requirement. The game’s developer, Shift Up, collaborated with Sony to make the PSN login optional, which resulted in a successful launch. The game achieved a peak of nearly 200,000 players in its opening week. As a result of this change, PC gamers worldwide can now enjoy Stellar Blade and Helldivers 2 without needing a PSN account.

Remaining Restrictions

Despite these advancements, some Sony titles on Steam remain heavily restricted. Notable examples include Ghost of Tsushima and Until Dawn, which continue to face limitations in various regions. The lifting of restrictions for certain titles may indicate a shift in Sony’s approach to regional sales, but it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue across all of its game offerings.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at Engadget.