How to Restore Licenses on PS5 and Fix Locked Games
Restore a PS5 game license without deleting save data, then use the correct next step if the padlock or missing-content problem remains.
To restore licenses on PS5, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, select the licenses you want to refresh, and confirm the prompt. For a single game, highlight it on the Home screen or in Game Library, press the Options button, and choose Restore License. Sony says restoring licenses won’t affect your data, so it’s a safe first step for a padlocked game, a missing add-on, or content that won’t start (PlayStation Support).
How do you restore all or selected licenses on PS5?
Use the Settings path when several purchases are missing or more than one game shows a padlock:
- Sign in to the PS5 user that owns the affected content.
- Open Settings from the top-right corner of the Home screen.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Select Other.
- Select Restore Licenses.
- Choose the licenses to restore and confirm the action.
- Return to Game Library and try the affected title or add-on again.
For one title, highlight it on the Home screen or in Game Library, press Options, and choose Restore License. This targeted path is faster when only one game is affected. Keep the console online and signed in until the process finishes.
What does restoring PS5 licenses do?
Restoring licenses refreshes the console’s access record for PlayStation Store content tied to your account. It can help when a game shows a padlock icon, a purchased game or add-on is missing, or a game crashes. It does not delete save data, screenshots, installed games, or account data; Sony states that restoring licenses won’t affect your data (PlayStation Support).
It also doesn’t create ownership. If another account bought the game, a PlayStation Plus entitlement expired, a title left an eligible catalog, or a purchase failed, restoring your account’s licenses can’t replace that missing entitlement.
Why is a PS5 game still locked after restoring licenses?
Match the symptom to the ownership check before deleting or reinstalling anything:
| What you see | Most likely check | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| A padlock beside a digital game you bought | Wrong account or license sync problem | Sign in to the purchasing account, confirm the transaction, then restore that account’s license |
| A PlayStation Plus game is locked | Subscription expired or the game left the catalog | Confirm the subscription is active and check whether the game is still in the PlayStation Plus game catalog |
| A game bought by another person on the console is locked | Console Sharing is disabled or active on a different PS5 | Have the owner enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on this PS5 |
| A padlock covers the entire game image | A family restriction may apply | Ask the Family Manager to review the age level or parental-control restriction |
| Several digital games fail at once | PlayStation Network or account-service issue | Check PlayStation Status and wait for any relevant incident to clear |
| The purchase is absent from Game Library | Failed purchase, wrong edition, or wrong account | Check Transaction History and the product page before troubleshooting the installation |
Sony’s locked-game checklist starts with the purchasing account, a successful transaction, active PlayStation Plus access when applicable, and Console Sharing status (PlayStation Support). Those checks separate a real license-sync problem from content the current account doesn’t own.
How do you check Console Sharing and Offline Play?
On the account that owns the game, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and select Enable. You can turn on Console Sharing and Offline Play on one PS5 at a time. If the owner enabled it on a different PS5, that activation must be changed before other users on this console can use the owner’s purchases and eligible subscription benefits.
Don’t toggle the setting on random accounts. First identify which account bought the game. PlayStation’s support page says anyone using the enabled PS5 can play downloaded purchases and receive some PlayStation Plus benefits, but the purchasing user must be the one who enables the feature (PlayStation Support).
Does restoring licenses delete games or save data?
No. Restoring licenses doesn’t erase saves, installed content, or account data. It also doesn’t rebuild the database, reset the console, or delete your account, and you don’t need to uninstall the game first.
Reinstalling can be slow and may not fix an entitlement problem, so run the license restore, verify the purchasing account, and check network status before deleting a large download. Backing up save data is still good practice, but it isn’t a prerequisite for the restore action itself.
What should you do if restoring licenses doesn’t work?
Work through this order and stop when the game runs:
- Confirm the purchasing account and a successful transaction.
- Confirm PlayStation Plus eligibility if the game came from a subscription, and check whether it’s still in the PlayStation Plus game catalog.
- Check PlayStation Status for account, store, or gaming alerts.
- Restart the PS5.
- Install the latest PS5 system software.
- Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on the purchasing account if another user needs access.
- Restore the affected license again.
- If the game is on USB extended storage and won’t start, move the game data to internal storage.
- Delete and redownload the game only after the entitlement checks pass.
- If the problem persists, use Safe Mode’s Clear Cache and Rebuild Database options before considering any reset or system-software reinstall.
Sony places data-destructive recovery much later in its launch-issue flow. Don’t select Reset PS5 or Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) because a padlock remains. If you contact PlayStation Support, note the error code, the affected account, the transaction, the exact title or add-on, and the steps already tried.
Can you restore a license for only one PS5 game?
Yes. Highlight the game on the Home screen or in Game Library, press Options, and select Restore License. Use the broader Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses route when the problem affects several titles or you don’t know which entitlement is out of sync.
If Restore License is missing for a title, first confirm you selected a digital game tied to the signed-in account. Disc games still need the correct disc and can have separate installation or drive problems; restoring a digital Store license can’t replace physical media.
Frequently asked questions
How long does restoring licenses take?
There’s no published completion time. It usually finishes quickly, but let it finish before you retry the game or add-on.
Does this work on PS4 too?
Yes, with a different path. On PS4, go to Settings > Account Management > Restore Licenses and select Restore.
Will restoring licenses bring back a game that left the PlayStation Plus catalog?
No. Restoring licenses refreshes access you already own. If a title left the catalog or your subscription lapsed, a restore can’t recreate that entitlement.
