Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
There is no universal yes-or-no answer. A server shutdown may remove multiplayer, matchmaking, leaderboards, stores, cloud features or user-generated content while leaving a local campaign playable. In other cases, the game checks a server before it starts and becomes unusable. To find out what will happen to your copy, use the publisher’s exact shutdown notice, inventory the game’s local and online features, prepare your digital license, install everything before the deadline, and test the game with the console disconnected.
What a PlayStation server closure actually changes
“The servers are shutting down” describes a network service, not necessarily every part of a game. PlayStation’s own decommissioned-servers notices are title-specific: each notice identifies the affected game, platform and features. Some closures remove only online functions; others make the entire title unavailable because the software requires a live connection.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Mortal Kombat 11 - PlayStation 4 | $20.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Grand Theft Auto V Playstation 4 | $23.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - PlayStation 4 | $29.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Fallout 4 Game of The Year Edition - PlayStation 4 | $30.61 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Resident Evil 4 - PS4 | $19.93 | Buy on Amazon |
For example, Sony’s notice for inFAMOUS 2 and inFAMOUS Festival of Blood says user-generated-content access ends while the main campaigns remain playable. Gran Turismo Sport loses Community, Open Lobby, Sport Mode and other online features, but its offline portions remain available. LittleBigPlanet 3 loses online services while its campaign and locally stored user-generated content remain available. By contrast, Sony states that GUNS UP! will not be playable because it requires an online connection. These examples show why a general rule such as “disc games survive” or “all games stop working” is unreliable.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSony’s PlayStation Network terms also say that “Online services are not provided for ever.” Publishers are asked to provide advance notice, but the notice is the document that determines what happens to a particular game. Treat a shutdown as a change to a defined set of services, then verify whether the mode you care about belongs to that set.
#1 Best Overall
- The all new custom character variations give you unprecedented control to customize the fighters and make them your own
- The new graphics engine showcasing every skull shattering, eye popping moment, brings you so close to the fight you can feel it
- And featuring a roster of new and returning Klassic Fighters, Mortal Kombat's best in class cinematic story mode continues the epic saga over 25 years in the making
- 1 - 2 players; Network players 2 - 8 full game requires PlayStation plus membership to access online multiplayer; Dualshock 4 vibration function; HD video output 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Step 1: Find the authoritative shutdown notice
Start with two sources: the game publisher’s support or news page and PlayStation’s list of decommissioned servers. A forum post, store review or social-media comment can point you toward a notice, but it should not be your final authority.
Record the details that affect your copy
- Exact title and edition: A base game, remaster, free-to-play client and regional edition can use different services.
- Platform: Check whether the notice covers PS4, PS5, PS3, PlayStation Vita or more than one platform.
- Region: A service can close on different dates in different countries, or a notice can apply only to a particular territory.
- Shutdown date and time: Note the stated time zone if one is given. “December 15” is not enough to establish the final usable moment in every region.
- Named features: Copy the exact list of affected modes, services, stores, applications and content.
- Client changes: Look for language about a required update, migration or replacement offline version.
Do not infer that an unnamed feature is safe merely because another mode is listed as unaffected. If the notice does not say whether a mode remains available, check the publisher’s support documentation or test that mode before the closure.
Step 2: Make a local-versus-server feature inventory
Write down the parts of the game you use and classify the dependency of each one. This prevents a broad shutdown announcement from hiding a smaller, important loss such as cloud saves or a live store.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
| Feature | Usually local or server-backed? | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Single-player campaign | Often local, but not always | Can a new game and an existing save load with networking disabled? |
| Local save data | Local on the console | Is the save stored on the console, or only in cloud storage? |
| Split-screen or local multiplayer | Usually local | Does the mode launch without account or server authentication? |
| Online multiplayer and matchmaking | Server-backed | Expect these to end unless the publisher supplies replacement infrastructure. |
| Leaderboards and rankings | Server-backed | Scores may stop uploading or viewing even if the game starts. |
| User-generated-content browsing or sharing | Server-backed | Locally stored creations may survive; downloading or publishing normally will not. |
| Live stores and virtual currency | Server-backed | Check whether purchases, redemption and previously acquired items require an entitlement check. |
| Cloud saves | Server-backed | Download the saves you need before the service ends; a local save is a separate copy. |
| Companion apps | Server-backed | An app can stop syncing even when the console game remains playable. |
| Account authentication | Potentially server-backed | Test whether the game starts with the console offline and the account already prepared. |
A shutdown can remove only the server-backed column. For instance, the campaign and locally stored creations in LittleBigPlanet 3 are identified as available even though its online services end. Conversely, a title whose launch process requires a server can fail before it reaches any local content.
Step 3: Prepare ownership and licensing
Physical and digital ownership reduce different risks, but neither format guarantees offline play. A disc supplies locally delivered software; it does not turn an online-only game into a self-contained one. Patches, downloadable expansions, account checks and mode-specific licenses can still be required.
Rank #2
- The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story
- Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto online, the dynamic and ever evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players
Disc copies
- Keep the original disc and install the game while the console can still obtain its updates.
- Install every purchased expansion or add-on you expect to use. Some add-ons are separate downloads rather than data contained on the disc.
- Do not assume that a disc includes the latest offline-capable build. A game may need a patch to fix launch behavior or add an offline mode.
- Run the offline test with the disc inserted. The test must use the same disc, console and account combination you plan to keep.
Digital PS4 games
On PS4, activate the console as your primary PS4 before the shutdown or before you intentionally disconnect it. The path is Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4. Sony describes the primary-console relationship as the setting that links the console to the account for Store purchases and enables use of purchased content on that console.
Sign in to the purchasing account, activate the console, download the game and its add-ons, and launch it online once. That first launch gives the console an opportunity to complete entitlement checks while the service is available. If you own the game through another account, verify which account owns the license and whether the console is activated for it.
Digital PS5 games
On PS5, enable Console Sharing and Offline Play at Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play > Enable. Sony says that, with this setting enabled, anyone using that PS5 can play purchased and downloaded games and media while the console is offline.
Enable the setting on the PS5 that will remain with the installed games, download the title and add-ons, and launch while connected. A different PS5, a changed account arrangement or a later license reset can produce a different result, so test on the actual console you intend to use.
| Ownership situation | Preparation before closure | Main remaining risk |
|---|---|---|
| PS4 disc | Install disc, patches and add-ons; test with disc inserted | Online-only launch or mode; missing downloadable content |
| PS5 disc | Install the PS5 build and updates; test offline | Online-only launch or an add-on entitlement check |
| PS4 digital | Activate as your Primary PS4, download content and launch online | Unprepared license or a game that requires a server |
| PS5 digital | Enable Console Sharing and Offline Play, download content and launch online | Unprepared console sharing setting or a server-dependent client |
Step 4: Install and patch everything before the deadline
Do not wait until the announced closure day. Service traffic, account problems or a large patch can prevent a last-minute setup.
Rank #3
- Crash Bandicoot
- Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex strikes back
- Crash bandicoot warped
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Cartoon violence, comic mischief
- Connect the console to the internet and sign in to the account that owns the game.
- Install the base game from the disc or your digital library.
- Install updates. Let the console finish the current game patch rather than assuming the disc version is sufficient.
- Download purchased add-ons and expansions. Open the game’s add-on or library area and confirm that each item is installed, not merely purchased.
- Download cloud saves you need. Copy important saves to the console; cloud storage will not be available after a relevant cloud-service closure or account-access problem.
- Launch once while online. Reach the main menu, load a save and enter the local mode you want to preserve.
- Check the installed footprint. Confirm that the game, update, language files and add-ons are present on the console’s storage.
Keep a local save even if you normally rely on cloud synchronization. A local save can preserve progress for an offline campaign; it cannot preserve an online inventory or a server-held profile.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows 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 reinstallStep 5: Run a controlled offline test
The only useful test is one that removes the network while leaving your normal installation intact. Record what happens so you can identify whether a failure is a license problem, a missing file or an intentional online dependency.
- Finish the online preparation described above and close the game.
- Disable networking. Turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the Ethernet cable. Do not merely close the game while the console remains connected.
- Restart the console. A restart exposes launch checks that may not run when a title is resumed from suspended memory.
- Start the game. Use the disc if it is a disc copy, or start the installed digital title on the prepared primary PS4 or PS5.
- Load a local save. Confirm that the expected profile and progress appear without a cloud request.
- Enter the campaign or local mode. Play long enough to pass the first loading transition; a menu that opens is not proof that gameplay is available.
- Try each retained feature. Test split-screen, local maps, installed expansions and any locally stored content you care about.
- Record every prompt. Note messages asking for sign-in, a server connection, a subscription, a missing entitlement or a download.
- Reconnect afterward. Restore internet access and repeat the test after any major system or game update.
A successful test proves what worked on that installation, console and account at that time. It does not prove that an uninstalled copy, a different platform edition or a future replacement client will behave identically.
How to classify the result
| Classification | Observed behavior | What remains available |
|---|---|---|
| Offline-safe | The game launches, loads a local save and enters the desired local mode with networking disabled. | The tested campaign or local content; only features that passed the test should be treated as confirmed. |
| Partially preserved | The campaign or local modes work, but online functions fail or disappear. | Local play, with multiplayer, UGC services, stores, leaderboards, cloud features or companion apps removed as applicable. |
| Online-dependent | The title refuses to start or blocks the relevant mode without a server. | No usable offline version of that client, even if a disc is present. |
| Publisher conversion | The publisher replaces or updates the original online client with an offline-exclusive version. | Whatever the replacement supports, after following the publisher’s migration instructions. |
A conversion is different from an ordinary shutdown. Bandai Namco’s announcement for SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada illustrates the distinction: the scheduled transition is to an offline-exclusive game after online service ends. In that situation, follow the publisher’s stated update or migration path instead of testing only the original client and assuming its behavior is final.
Disc versus digital: which is safer offline?
A disc reduces the risk that you will need to redownload the base game, but it does not remove server requirements. Digital ownership can work offline when the console has been prepared correctly, yet it depends more heavily on the local license and the ability to download the game, patches and add-ons before access ends.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #4
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
| Question | Disc | Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Can the base game be reinstalled without a store download? | Usually yes, from the disc, subject to the console and edition. | No; you need the installed copy or a future download from your library. |
| Are patches still important? | Yes. The disc may contain an older build. | Yes. The downloaded build and updates must be installed before closure. |
| Can DLC require a license check? | Yes, especially for separately purchased add-ons. | Yes; the prepared account and console license must be available offline. |
| Does the format defeat an online-only design? | No. | No. |
| What should you test? | That exact disc, console, account and installed content offline. | That exact prepared console, account and installed content offline. |
What to do when the offline test fails
The game asks you to sign in
Reconnect while the service is still available, sign in to the purchasing account and verify the PS4 primary-console or PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play setting. Launch the game online again, then repeat the full restart-and-disconnect test. If it still requires sign-in, treat the game as online-dependent unless the publisher documents another solution.
A purchased add-on is missing
Reconnect, check the account that bought the add-on, download it again if necessary and confirm that the correct region and edition are installed. Test the add-on offline separately from the base campaign. A campaign can work while a missing expansion does not.
The game opens but a mode is unavailable
Compare the blocked mode with the shutdown notice. Matchmaking, leaderboards, live stores, cloud features and UGC browsing are normally server-backed. A blocked online mode is expected after closure and does not by itself mean that the local campaign is lost.
The console resumes an old suspended session
Close the game completely and restart the console with networking disabled. Resume behavior can conceal the launch check that occurs after a cold start.
The publisher announces an offline replacement
Read the migration instructions and install the required update while connected. Test the replacement client, not just the original executable. Record which saves, items or modes the publisher says will transfer; do not assume an online inventory becomes a local save.
Best Value
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Reimagined Story – Resident Evil 4 dials up the original release’s key feelings of loneliness and the fear of enemies blinded by zealotry, while providing more nuanced depictions of the character motivations and relationships that defined the 2005 survival horror icon.
Examples that illustrate the rule
inFAMOUS 2 and inFAMOUS Festival of Blood
The cited PlayStation notice separates user-generated-content access from the main campaigns. After the relevant service ends, the campaign is the part identified as remaining playable; online UGC access is not.
Gran Turismo Sport
Community, Open Lobby, Sport Mode and other online features are removed, while offline portions remain playable. Someone interested in solo driving should install and test those portions; someone interested in the named online modes should expect them to disappear.
LittleBigPlanet 3
The online services end, but the campaign and locally stored UGC remain available. Download or create anything that must be stored locally before closure; a server-hosted library is a different category from content already on the console.
GUNS UP!
Sony’s support notice says, “As you have to be online to play this title, this game will not be playable starting December 15th 2023.” This is the online-dependent case: a disc or installed files cannot provide a local mode when the game’s design requires the server.
A practical checklist before the shutdown date
- Locate the publisher notice and PlayStation decommissioned-server entry.
- Write down the title, platform, region, exact date and affected features.
- Separate campaign, local saves and local multiplayer from online modes, UGC, stores, cloud functions and authentication.
- Activate the relevant PS4 as the purchasing account’s Primary PS4, or enable PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Install the base game, current patches, expansions, language files and any required licenses.
- Launch online once and load the local save you intend to keep.
- Copy important cloud saves to local storage.
- Disconnect the console, restart it and test every mode you expect to retain.
- Save the publisher’s migration instructions if an offline conversion is announced.
- Keep the disc, prepared console and local installation together if you rely on physical media.
The answer for your particular game
There is no reliable percentage of PlayStation games that remain playable after their servers close; the official evidence is title-by-title. The dependable answer comes from the game’s shutdown notice plus your own offline test. If the tested local mode launches and loads a local save, classify that mode as preserved. If only online features fail, the game is partially preserved. If launch or the desired mode requires a server, the client is online-dependent. If the publisher supplies an offline conversion, use that documented replacement.
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.
