What Does The Padlock Symbol Mean In Your PlayStation 5 Game Library?

Decision paralysis is the bane of modern entertainment. What one show or movie out of the thousands available on the best streaming services do you want to watch next? At least with platforms like the PlayStation 5, you can quickly search your game library for inspiration. But inspiration can quickly turn into confusion when you realize that the console has locked you out of certain games.

If you find a padlock next to the title of a game in your library — it can even show up in games registered to your collection that aren’t installed — it simply means you can’t play them. More specifically, it means you either lack the license to play the game or something has gone wrong with the license that you bought (insert a scathing joke about how you don’t actually own the digital games you buy here). However, the padlock is only the symptom of an issue with several causes, some more problematic than others.

You can often trace the issue back to how the game got onto your console in the first place. Do you share your PS5 with multiple accounts? If so, the game is likely locked because you didn’t actually purchase it; one of the other accounts did. Did you used to have a PlayStation Plus membership that recently lapsed? Then you probably downloaded the title while you still had an active subscription. If the answer is neither, then license ownership somehow got lost in the digital void. Thankfully, that isn’t the death sentence for your library that it might sound like.

How to clear the padlock

Since the PS5 padlocks games whenever it questions whether you own the license, you can fix the problem by simply proving that you have an active license. However, the method varies depending on how the license was issued in the first place. Let’s start with the easiest. If a game is locked because another account on your console purchased the title, simply log into the appropriate account to access the game. But using another person’s account is a serious misstep. And what if you want the achievements to appear in your account? Turn on Console Sharing and Offline Play:

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Select “Users and Accounts.”
3. Select “Other.”
4. Toggle “Console Sharing and Offline Play.”

Once complete, you can access the games of other account holders’ libraries and vice versa. If you get to play their games, they get to play yours — it’s only fair. If a game is padlocked because you installed it from PlayStation Plus, then you have two options: Either buy the game (preferably when it’s on sale) or subscribe to a PlayStation Plus tier that grants access. Unfortunately, Sony sometimes removes games from the PS Plus catalog, so if the title was removed, you’ll need to buy it if you want to play. And finally, if you’re locked out of a game due to a licensing system glitch, you can restore your license by doing the following:

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Select “Users and Accounts.”
3. Select “Other.”
4. Select “Restore Licenses.”
5. Click all the boxes next to the padlocked games, then select “Restore.” After you’re done, you should be able to access them. If not, it’s time to call customer support.