Sony has officially confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will not require an online connection to play offline games, working the same way as the PlayStation 4.
Announced as part of Sony's PlayStation 5 user interface video, the news means players won't have to wait for a patch update or online verification to start a newly purchased game as long as they are offline. Games that are played online will require an internet connection and will update as needed to allow online access but an offline single-player game can be booted as soon as it installs.
The news is a small relief for fans who currently lack an online connection. Despite the internet being more and more widespread, there are those who either have a data cap or no online access at all. Keep in mind that even single player games have day 1 patches that may fix launch bugs or add missing features so playing a game without an update may come with risks. Online games that can be played offline remain the exception. A game like Marvel's Avengers, which recently released a patch adding new missions and addressing bugs, still requires an online connection to save a players data as save data is stored on servers only.
The news is part of Sony's recent push of the upcoming console as November approaches, including the company releasing a tear down video of the PlayStation 5 last week. Since the announcement of the PS5, fans have been asking Sony to reveal more details of the console with Sony remaining hum for quite a few months, with the launch of the console less than a month away, it seems Sony is finally letting loose.
In addition, Sony recently announced broadening the PlayStation Network login to the company's other services such as Sony Rewards or PlayStation Music, allowing for a PlayStation Network single use login to access any Sony service and streamlining the process overall. This means users won't have to worry about remembering unique login IDs and passwords for each service going forward. Currently it is unknown if this means users will have the ability to carry over funds from one service to another.
Meanwhile Sony has also added some much needed features to the console to help players address bullying, harassment, and other issues with the PS5's ability to record voice chat for reporting abusive players. The feature isn't exclusive to the PS5 as it is part of the 8.00 update that recently launched on the PlayStation 4 as well. The new feature is a way to combat online abuse, an issue that companies like EA and Activision are also working to deal with in future game launches.
The PlayStation 5 launches on November 12.