A padlock beside a game in your PS5 library usually means the console cannot currently verify that your account has access to launch it. It signals a possible license or access issue—not proof that a purchase disappeared or that PlayStation Plus expired. A lock covering the entire game image can also point to family-manager restrictions.
Why is there a lock on my PS5 game?
PlayStation describes the padlock as a possible problem with a game’s license. The icon does not identify the cause on its own: the game may belong to a different account, depend on an active PlayStation Plus entitlement, be shared from another account, or be affected by a temporary service or network issue. Check ownership and access before considering any purchase again.
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If the padlock covers the whole game image rather than appearing beside it, PlayStation says family-manager restrictions may be involved. Ask the family manager to review the applicable parental controls.
How to unlock a locked game on PS5
Work through these checks in order. The menu wording below reflects PlayStation’s US English support instructions; labels or availability can vary by region and change with system updates.
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Confirm the account and purchase
Sign in on the PS5 with the account that bought the digital game. In that account, review transaction history and confirm the purchase completed successfully. If someone else owns the game, ask them to check the sharing setup described below. Do not buy the title again until you have verified which account owns it and whether that account can share it on this console. PlayStation’s game-start troubleshooting covers account and license checks.
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Check PlayStation Plus access
If you accessed the game through PlayStation Plus, confirm that the membership is active and that the title remains available through the relevant PlayStation Plus offering. A padlock alone does not establish that a membership expired; PlayStation notes that a lock is not necessarily related to PlayStation Plus expiration. PlayStation’s license-restoration guidance explains this qualification.
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Check Console Sharing and Offline Play
When another account owns the game, that account can make its purchased and downloaded games available to other users on one PS5 by enabling Console Sharing and Offline Play there. On the PS5 being used, the owner can check Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play. PlayStation says the feature is automatically allowed on the first PS5 used to sign in and can be enabled on one PS5 at a time. It also allows other users on that console to play the owner’s eligible games and media offline and receive some PlayStation Plus benefits; it does not mean every subscription benefit is shared. See PlayStation’s Console Sharing and Offline Play instructions.
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Check service, connection, and system software
Check the PlayStation service-status page for an outage or alert, confirm the console is connected to the internet, and install any available system software update. If appropriate, restart the console and router. These checks can address temporary verification problems, but they do not change which account owns the game. PlayStation includes these steps in its game-start troubleshooting.
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Restore the game license
On PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, then select the relevant license. You can also highlight the game on the home screen or in the library, press the Options button, and choose Restore License. PlayStation lists a padlock as a reason to try this and says restoring licenses will not affect your data. Follow the official license-restoration steps.
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Use Safe Mode or contact support if the lock remains
If the checks above do not resolve the problem, PlayStation’s download troubleshooting lists Safe Mode > Clear Cache and Rebuild Database as a next step. Follow the current official troubleshooting instructions carefully. If the game still will not launch, contact PlayStation Support with the error code, what you tried and what happened, the date and time of the attempt, and a screenshot or video if possible.
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Which cause should you check first?
| What you see or know | What to check |
|---|---|
| You own the digital game | Sign in to the purchasing account and confirm the transaction succeeded. PlayStation Support |
| The game came through PlayStation Plus | Check that the membership is active and the game remains available through the relevant offering. PlayStation Support |
| Another user owns the game | Ask the owner to confirm Console Sharing and Offline Play is enabled on this PS5. PlayStation Support |
| The lock covers the entire game image | Ask the family manager to review parental controls. PlayStation Support |
| Account and entitlement checks look correct | Check PlayStation service status and system software, then restore licenses. PlayStation Support |
| The lock persists after those steps | Follow the official Safe Mode troubleshooting and contact PlayStation Support with reproducible details. PlayStation Support |
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