PlayStation 36-month account closure rule predates current disc backlash
Sony’s PlayStation Terms of Service have returned to the spotlight after a popular gaming account pointed out that inactive PlayStation accounts in Europe can be closed after 36 months. The clause is now being shared during a wider backlash against Sony’s reported move away from physical game discs.
Sony has crossed all the lines with this: PlayStation will close your account and you will lose all your games if you do not log in for 3 years, and the media remain silent about it; the media are not your friends. #Playstation #DRM pic.twitter.com/R8XLwj9LFt
— ✖️Astal✖️ (@astaranx) July 4, 2026
However, this is not a new April 2026 change. Sony’s current terms are listed as Version 12, last updated in April 2026, but the 36-month inactivity rule was already present in Version 10 from December 2019. In fact, Sony made the period longer over time.
PSN Cancellation PSN terms
- 2009 – 18 months
- 2010 – 18 months – Version 4.7
- 2011 – 18 months – Version 4.9
- 2016 – 24 months
- 2017 – 24 months – Version 9.0
- 2019 – 36 months – Version 10
- 2020 – 36 months – Version 10.1
- 2022 – 36 months – Version 10.2
- 2023 – 36 months – Version 11
- 2026 – 36 months – Version 12, current Sony terms
The October 2017 version of the PlayStation Network terms allowed Sony to close an account after 24 months of inactivity. The December 2019 version extended that period to 36 months, while also adding that the rule would apply only where local laws allow it. The current six-month email warning appears in the January 2023 version.
The oldest version I could find says that the account might have been closed after just 18 months, that’s from 2009, so 17 years ago.
PSN Terms from 2009, Source: Sony
The current wording says Sony may take steps to close an account if it has not been used for at least 36 months. Sony says it will first contact the user by email and give them 6 months to log in or ask for the account to stay open. Which is plenty of time for one to decide if they still want account.
Xbox and Nintendo
Does this mean it is a good rule? Of course not. Maintaining an account with a game library, achievements, and other PSN data should not require much server space.
Xbox has a similar rule, but Microsoft’s policy has one major difference. The inactivity period is shorter, at two years, but accounts that have made a purchase are not eligible for closure due to inactivity.
Nintendo does not appear to have a comparable rule for Nintendo Accounts. The closest example is Nintendo Switch Online . If the subscription expires, cloud saves become inaccessible, although Nintendo says previous backups may be retained for up to 180 days after the membership ends.
Source: Sony 2009 PSN terms (Web Archive) , NotebookCheck
