Sony’s Blockchain-Based DRM System Will Likely Be a Part of the PlayStation 5

Although you can’t expect it in 2019, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) is well on its way. Touted as no mere upgrade, the future next-generation console will feature previously-unattainable graphics and sound. The end result, as Sony’s Mark Cerny told Wired magazine, will be complete immersion. The Cerny interview also confirms that the PS5 will support ray tracing and resolutions up to 8k, a new 3D audio technology as part of the CPU, a solid-state drive to allow for speedy bandwidth, and backward-compatibility with older PlayStation 4 games. One thing we can infer is that Sony is still fixated on anti-piracy management. That’s why it’s safe to assume that they will likely include their new blockchain-based Digital Rights Management (DRM) with the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation and Blockchain: What Is DRM?

With so many new features being expected for the PlayStation 5, Sony would definitely want to keep its copyright concerns on lock. After all, the company does not have a great track record when it comes to this kind of stuff. One of the worst of these was in 2005 when Sony instituted a terrible copy protection system on 22 million CDs. This move ended up ruining systems and creating endless vulnerabilities which were exploited by malware. That fiasco basically ended copy-protection ideas for Sony — which were completely discontinued in 2007. Sony has since then been in a sort of limbo when it comes to piracy and digital rights, despite going after hackers like George Hotz (and others like him) when the PS3 was jailbroken. Sony is very sensitive when it comes to copyright issues. However, Sony now has an entirely new strategy. In April 2018, it patented a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system which runs on blockchain. The patent was issued in both Japan and in the U.S. Using the DRM system, games you purchase will be yours forever and registered on a self-organizing blockchain system. Any digital rights for games you own can also be traded digitally on the DRM platform.

Blockchain-Based DRM on the PlayStation 5

Given its importance, there’s no reason why we can’t assume DRM is coming to the PS5.  The PlayStation, being Sony’s flagship product, lies at the heart of the copyright and digital rights dispute. Plus, to be able to trade the digital rights to games on the PlayStation Network would be a direct application of the DRM idea. [bctt tweet=”Sony’s blockchain-based DRM would allow users to trade the digital rights to games on the PlayStation Network. That’s why we can expect the PS5 to feature this new patented blockchain technology. ” username=”beincrypto”] Although the DRM has yet to be rolled out formally, you shouldn’t be surprised if the blockchain-based system becomes a core component of the PS5’s digital rights system. In fact, we can expect the DRM to eventually form a self-regulating network where users can trade and claim digital rights across Sony’s many products. The PS5 just may be the perfect opportunity for Sony to fully test out this still-new idea. That’s why we’re betting that the DRM will be a major component of the highly-anticipated PlayStation 5. Is a blockchain-based DRM system coming to the PlayStation 5? Let us know your thoughts below.