Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
If all your PS4 games suddenly show padlocks on PS5, the console usually can’t verify the account’s license or entitlement—not that the games are incompatible. First check which PSN account owns them, whether they came from PlayStation Plus, and whether the owner has enabled Console Sharing and Offline Play. Then check network access and restore licenses. Avoid reinstalling everything before you confirm ownership.
What the padlock means
A padlock usually means the PS5 cannot currently verify that the signed-in account is entitled to launch the game. The game files may still be installed; files and licenses are separate. Supported PS4 games can run on PS5, but access still depends on how each game was obtained: a digital purchase, a qualifying PlayStation Plus benefit, sharing from its owner’s account, or the original disc.
One locked game often points to that title’s purchase, subscription, edition, or sharing status. Locks on nearly every game more often suggest a different account, a sharing setting, or a broad license or network check. A lock covering the entire game image can also indicate a family or parental-control restriction. Sony’s game-launch troubleshooting guide identifies license, account, subscription, and parental-control checks as relevant causes.
Start with the account that owns the games
- On the PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts and confirm which user and PSN account you are using.
- For a locked digital game, check that account’s transaction history. If the purchase or redeemed voucher is not there, sign in with the account that originally bought or claimed it.
- Consider whether a parent, spouse, roommate, or previous console user owns the games. A local PS5 profile is not necessarily the PSN account that holds the license.
Sony recommends checking the purchasing account and transaction history. If several games locked at once after moving to a new PS5, this is a better first check than downloading them again.
#1 Best Overall
- Model Number CFI-2000
- Includes DualSense Wireless Controller, 1TB SSD, 2 Horizontal Stand Feet, HDMI Cable, AC power cord, USB cable, printed materials, ASTRO’s PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game)
- Vertical Stand sold seperately
If another account owns the games, enable Console Sharing
When one person owns the digital games and another user wants to play them on the same PS5, the owner’s account needs to enable the console’s sharing feature:
Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play > Enable
For example, if account A bought and downloaded the games and account B is trying to play them, sign in to account A on this PS5 and enable the setting. Account B can then use eligible games on that console. The feature also allows shared purchases to be played offline on the designated PS5.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
An account can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled on only one PS5 at a time. If the owner recently replaced a console, sharing may still be enabled on the old one. Disable it there if possible; if the old console is inaccessible, Sony offers remote deactivation, which can be used once every six months. The PS5 setting is distinct from activating a primary PS4.
Rank #2
- CPU: x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen 8 Cores / 16 Threads at 3.5GHz.GPU: AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine.
- 16GB GDDR6/256-bit Memory; 825GB SSD Storage Capacity
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1
- HDR technology, 8K output, 4K TV gaming, Up to 120 fps with 120Hz output, Tempest 3D AudioTech
- What's Included: Sony PlayStation 5 Disc Version; Wireless controller; USB cable, HDMI cable, AC power cord. Nogtox PVT HDMI_cable
Check whether the games came from PlayStation Plus
A game downloaded through PlayStation Plus is not necessarily a permanent purchase. Check that you are signed into the account that claimed or accessed it and that its subscription is active. Also identify which benefit supplied the game:
- Monthly games claimed through PlayStation Plus: access generally depends on an active subscription.
- Game Catalog titles: access depends on the subscription benefit and the title remaining available in the catalog.
- Separately purchased games: an expired Plus subscription does not remove a separate purchase.
Renewing Plus will not fix a wrong-account problem or unlock a separately purchased game. Verify the entitlement before paying for a subscription or buying the game again.
Restore licenses on PS5
Once you have confirmed the correct account and entitlement, refresh the console’s license information:
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSettings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses
Rank #3
- 🚀 CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
- 🚀 Storage: Custom 825GB SSD
- 🚀 RAM: 16GB GDDR6
- 🚀 GPU: 10.3 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU
You can also highlight a game, press the Options button, and choose Restore License if that option is available. Sony says restoring licenses does not affect saved data and may help with a padlocked game. It does not create ownership, renew an expired subscription, or override parental controls. See Sony’s Restore Licenses instructions.
Check the network before trying broader fixes
The PS5 may be unable to verify an entitlement if it cannot reach PlayStation Network. Check the official PlayStation status page, then confirm the console is online. If services are reporting a problem, wait for them to recover; repeated reinstalls will not resolve an outage. If there is no reported outage, restart the PS5 and router. Sony’s sharing troubleshooting guidance suggests turning the router off for about five minutes before restarting it if connection trouble persists.
Physical PS4 games need the disc
If you own a game on disc, insert that original disc to verify access. Copying or transferring the installation from a PS4 does not replace the disc check. A PS5 Digital Edition cannot read physical PS4 game discs, so disc-based games cannot be launched from that model.
Check family restrictions
If the lock appears only for a child account—or covers the whole game image—ask the family manager to review the relevant parental-control and age-rating restrictions. Check whether the manager can launch the game normally and whether other profiles on the PS5 are affected. A restriction on one child profile is different from a license problem affecting everyone.
Rank #4
- Enjoy smooth and fluid high frame rate gameplay at up to 120 fps for compatible games, with support for 120Hz output on 4K displays.
- PS5 consoles support an 8K output, so you can play games on your 4320p resolution display.
- Maximize your play sessions with near-instant load times for installed PS5 games.
- 825GB SSD allows ultra-fast load times, while 3-D audio output produces crisp acoustics.
- Explore uncharted virtual territories and slay dragons with this sleek Sony PlayStation 5 gaming console.
Update the PS5, then rebuild its database if needed
If account, entitlement, sharing, network, and license checks look correct, install available system software updates at Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings, then restart the console.
As a later step, use Safe Mode and choose Rebuild Database (Sony’s troubleshooting pages may also refer to Clear Cache and Rebuild Database). Follow Sony’s current Safe Mode instructions carefully. Rebuilding the database refreshes the console’s content index; it is not the same as deleting all games or factory-resetting the PS5. Do not choose Reset PS5 or reinstall system software as a routine fix for padlocks.
Quick diagnosis
| What you see | Likely explanation | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Nearly every digital game is locked | Wrong account, sharing configuration, network access, or license sync | Confirm the owning account; check Console Sharing and PSN status |
| Only PlayStation Plus games are locked | Subscription inactive or catalog entitlement ended | Check the subscribing account, subscription, and title availability |
| Games owned by another user are locked | Sharing is not enabled by the owner on this PS5 | Sign into the owner’s account and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play |
| One digital game is locked | Title-specific purchase, edition, or license issue | Check transaction history, then restore that license |
| A child profile sees a lock | Family or age-rating restriction | Ask the family manager to review parental controls |
| A disc game is unavailable | Disc is missing or the PS5 has no disc drive | Insert the original disc or confirm the console model |
If one game is still locked
After confirming the correct account, check the game’s transaction history and whether it was a Plus monthly game or catalog title. Confirm that you own the installed edition, restore that game’s license, and check whether its catalog access has ended. Re-download only after the entitlement is confirmed; reinstalling does not repair a missing license.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If transaction history shows the purchase but the game remains inaccessible, contact PlayStation Support. Include the game title, the PSN account involved, any error code or message, the date and time of the failed launch, steps that reproduce the problem, and a screenshot or video. Sony’s downloaded-game troubleshooting page lists information to provide when escalating.
If Sony identifies an account or console suspension, follow its suspension guidance; Sony notes that a console suspension can block access to purchased PlayStation Store content. Do not purchase the game again until you have checked the original transaction and asked Support to investigate.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
