How to launch your game on PlayStation
How to launch a game on PlayStation: registering as a Sony partner, the technical requirements of the TRC, and certification for PS4 and PS5.
Launching a game on PlayStation follows a structure similar to other consoles — registering as a developer, adapting technically to the hardware and going through a mandatory certification process — but with requirements of Sony's own, summarised in this guide.
Becoming a Sony partner studio
Access to development kits, technical documentation and tools for PS4 and PS5 goes through the PlayStation Partners program. As on other platforms, the process usually involves formally incorporating the studio as a company and signing a non-disclosure agreement before any restricted technical material is shared.
What the TRC (Technical Requirements Checklist) is
The TRC is the set of technical and user-experience requirements Sony defines as mandatory for any game published on PS4 or PS5. It covers everything from correct handling of system messages (such as notifications and standard PlayStation prompts) to how the game deals with saved data, how it behaves in the background, and how it responds to standard controller commands. This checklist is what guides the certification process before a game is approved for release.
In specific situations, Sony allows a formal exception to a TRC item — known as a waiver — when the item does not apply directly to that particular game's design.
Trophies: a requirement, not an extra
The PlayStation trophy system is a mandatory part of any game's implementation on the platform, not an optional feature. The Platinum trophy is mandatory in every case — it is not something reserved for certain kinds of game: every full game needs one. The only exception is the demo, which follows its own rule. Beyond the structure, Sony requires trophy progression to correctly reflect the player's real progress.
Online communication and user-generated content
Games with any form of communication between players — text chat, voice chat, room names or any user-created content — fall under an additional layer of Sony requirements, covering everything from the ability to report and mute other players to compliance with the PlayStation system's parental controls. Even games without multiplayer usually need to correctly declare that absence of online communication in the submission, so the age rating reflects the real experience.
Adapting the game for PS4 and PS5
Games targeting both PS4 and PS5 — or using PS5-specific features such as the DualSense controller with its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback — need to account for different performance targets across the two hardware generations. PS5-exclusive features, such as integration with the system's Activities, are optional, but once implemented they also form part of the certification review.
A game designed for PS5 first can usually also run on PS4 with reduced performance targets (adjusted resolution and effects), but the reverse path — taking a game already released on PS4 and bringing it up to take advantage of PS5 hardware — is common too, especially when the project started on PC and is being ported to both generations at once.
Age rating and submitting for certification
As on other platforms, the game needs a valid age rating (ESRB, PEGI or the body matching the release territory) before submission. The final certification submission checks compliance with the TRC as a whole — and, as with any console certification process, it is common for the first submission to come back with points that need fixing before approval.
How Nuntius Games handles your PlayStation launch
Launching on PlayStation is one of the porting and publishing fronts Nuntius Games takes on — from partner registration through to following the TRC requirements, the goal is that the development studio never has to decipher Sony's technical documentation alone.
In practice, Nuntius runs the whole process: registration and paperwork with Sony, adapting the build, QA, submission and the rounds of TRC fixes until approval. The studio follows the deliveries without having to decipher the manufacturer's technical documentation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is Sony's TRC?
TRC stands for Technical Requirements Checklist — the set of technical and user-experience requirements Sony defines as mandatory for any game on PS4 or PS5. It covers everything from correct handling of system messages to saved-data behaviour, and it is the basis of the platform's certification process.
Can I ask for an exception to a TRC item?
Yes. In specific cases Sony allows you to formally request a waiver for a TRC item that does not apply directly to that game's design. This is assessed case by case during certification.
Does my game have to have a Platinum trophy?
Yes. The Platinum trophy is mandatory in every case — the Platinum closes the list of a full game, and it is not an extra reserved for some titles. The only exception is the demo, which follows its own rule. Beyond that, what Sony requires is that the trophy list correctly reflect the real progression of the experience.
How do I become a Sony partner to develop on PlayStation?
Registration goes through the PlayStation Partners program, which normally requires the studio to be formally incorporated as a company and to sign a non-disclosure agreement before granting access to development kits and technical documentation.
Do I have to use the PS5 DualSense controller's exclusive features?
It is not mandatory. Features such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are optional — once implemented they also go through the certification review, but a game can be approved without using them.
How long does PlayStation certification take?
It depends on how much of the TRC the game already meets on the first submission. As with any console certification, it is common for the first attempt to come back with points to fix, so it is usually worth reserving time in the schedule for more than one cycle before final approval.
Does my game need to support cross-play and cross-save between PS4 and PS5?
It is not mandatory, but it is usually worth it when the game launches on both generations — cross-save (shared saved progress) tends to matter more to the player experience than cross-play (playing together across PS4 and PS5), especially in games without a multiplayer focus.
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