Sony unlocks PlayStation PC games on Steam for people in 162 countries

Up until two days ago, PlayStation games on PC ported over by Sony were only available to Steam players in specific regions, specifically regions that support the PlayStation Network (PSN).

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However, Sony has now dropped region locks, enabling an additional 162 countries to access select PlayStation PC games on Steam, as they no longer require a PSN account to play. Previously, Sony argued it needed PSN accounts to be mandatory for multiplayer titles, but for some reason still required players to have a PSN account for single-player games. As you can probably imagine, this caused major pushback from PC gamers, who are very particular about developers/publishers overstepping when it comes to information gathering or unnecessary account-making.

But the straw that broke the PSN account camel's back was the debacle with Helldivers 2, which dates back to May, 2024, when Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced it was forcing Helldivers 2 players to have a PSN account to access the game, which at the time, Helldivers 2 was going completely viral and was one of the biggest games on Steam. SIE's announcement meant players who are located in regions where PSN isn't supported would no longer be able to play the game, forcing SIE to refund Helldivers 2.

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The pushback from the community was monumental. The entire Helldivers 2 community rallied against Sony's decision to make mandatory PSN accounts, and it never went through. Moreover, SIE apologized to Helldivers 2 fans and admitted that it was "still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable."

It shouldn't be understated how much the Helldivers 2 community pushed back on SIE. It was unprecedented at the time Helldivers 2's active player base plummeted, and the negative review bombing began to take effect. Helldivers 2 lost 90% of its players over this decision by Sony, which is what caused the publisher to apologize and change its course.

In January 2025, Sony announced it would scrap the mandatory PSN account requirement from most of its PC games, and instead offer in-game cosmetic items as incentives for players to sign up for / make a PSN account. It appears those changes have now been made, as the SteamDB listings for God of War Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Spider-Man 2, and Helldivers 2 all have 162 countries removed from the "PurchaseRestrictedCountries" list. Steam players in the countries listed below now have access to the aforementioned titles on Steam.