PlayStation PC Debut Drops PSN Mandate

Lost Soul Aside's PC Release: A PSN Account Requirement U-Turn?

New evidence suggests Lost Soul Aside, a Sony-published action RPG slated for a 2025 PC release, has dropped its controversial PlayStation Network (PSN) account linking requirement. This significant change expands the game's potential market, allowing Sony to sell Lost Soul Aside in the numerous countries where PSN isn't supported.

Lost Soul Aside, a product of PlayStation's China Hero Project, is a highly anticipated hack-and-slash title inspired by Devil May Cry. Developed by UltiZeroGames over nearly nine years, the game will launch on both PS5 and PC, with Sony handling publishing duties. However, Sony's previous mandate of mandatory PSN account linking for its PC titles sparked considerable player backlash.

This linking requirement prevented sales in over 100 countries lacking PSN support, severely limiting reach and potential revenue. Lost Soul Aside appears to deviate from this policy. Following the December 2024 gameplay trailer release and the game's Steam page launch, the initial mention of a PSN account requirement was swiftly removed, as evidenced by SteamDB update history.

Lost Soul Aside: A Second Sony Title to Abandon PSN Linking on PC

This decision is welcome news for PC gamers in unsupported regions. It also marks a potentially significant shift in Sony's approach to PC game releases. The only prior instance of Sony reversing a PSN linking requirement was during the controversy surrounding Helldivers 2. Following that incident, the requirement was widely considered standard practice, making Lost Soul Aside's exemption noteworthy.

While Sony's rationale remains unclear, the move likely aims to maximize player reach and sales. The poor PC performance of PlayStation titles following the PSN linking mandate – exemplified by God of War Ragnarök's significantly lower Steam player count compared to its predecessor – may have influenced this decision.