When the CMOS battery in your PlayStation 5 eventually dies, you will still be able to play it, according to a new report.
Based on a new video from Hikikomori Media, a PS5 with an expired or missing CMOS battery will not invalidate the launch of any PS4 and PS5 games on the console. The CMOS battery is used to power a PlayStation’s internal clock, and so when a game is started on it, the internal clock verifies the date and time on a remote server to make sure you’re able to play them.
Previously, when the CMOS battery either died or was removed, the PlayStation console would ask you to manually put in the date and time, and then will try to sync them online. However, if the PlayStation Network wasn’t functioning properly, then your console won’t connect to it, rendering any games unplayable. This applied to all digital games, as well as PS4 physical games and some PS5 ones. But now, fortunately, this is no longer an issue.
Hypothetically, the problem meant if PlayStation Network ever shut down permanently in the future, then you wouldn’t be able to play any game if the CMOS battery died. Sony sent an update back in September that corrected this issue on PS4.
This issue was brought to the forefront earlier this year when Sony announced it would shut down the PS3 and Vita digital stores, which it later reversed. Years down the line, should you want to play on your PS4 or PS5, you’ll still be able to.
