Summary
Some newfound evidence seems to confirm thatLost Soul Aside, an upcoming Sony-published game, has removed its PlayStation Network account requirement for PC users. This not only means thatLost Soul Asideplayers on PC won’t have to contend with PSN account linking, but it also significantly expands the list of available regions whereSonywill be able to sell the game when it launches in 2025.
Lost Soul Asideis one of the most anticipated indie games to arise from PlayStation’s long-running China Hero Project incubation program. The hack and slash action RPG, which borrows inspiration fromDevil May Cryand supposedly prioritizes “dynamic combat,” has been in development for almost nine years by Shanghai-based studio UltiZeroGames. Sony, meanwhile, has funded the game’s development and will bepublishingLost Soul Asideon PS5and PC. However, Sony began implementing mandatory PSN account linking for PlayStation games on PC last year, drawing backlash from many users on the platform.
Over 100 countries worldwide aren’t supported by PSN, which means PC games that sport the requirement can’t be sold in these markets, leading to reduced sales potential and player outreach. However, it appearsLost Soul Asidewill buck the trend by not enforcing a PSN account requirement on PC. Shortly afterLost Soul Aside’s latest gameplay trailerdebuted in December 2024, the game’s Steam page went live. Initially,Lost Soul Aside’s Steam page did mention that a PSN account would be required, but itsSteamDB update historyshows that the mandate was dropped the following day.
Lost Soul Aside is the Second Sony-Published Game to Drop the PSN Account Linking Rule on PC
This will undoubtedly come as a relief to PC gamers who are looking forward to playingLost Soul Aside, but reside in one of the many countries where PSN is not supported. It’s also an interesting development for PlayStation games on PC overall, as the only other instance of Sony backtracking on the requirement was duringHelldivers 2’s PSN account linking controversy. After that debacle, PSN account linking was thought to have been an absolute requirement for PlayStation’s PC games, butLost Soul Aside’s exclusion from the rule proves that Sony might not be so strict with it after all.
The reasons behind Sony allowingLost Soul Aside’s PC version to forgo the PSN account requirement are unknown at the time of writing, but speculation suggests that the company wants the game to reach as many players as possible. PlayStation games didn’t perform very well on PC after PSN account linking was mandated, withGod of War Ragnarokaccruing less than half of its predecessor’s Steam player count.
Lost Soul Aside
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic odyssey to save your sister and the whole of humankind from dimensional invaders in Lost Soul Aside – a stylish single player action-adventure RPG.
Chain lightning-fast combos, learn new abilities, and upgrade your weapons as you take on formidable enemies and colossal bosses in fast, dynamic combat.
