PlayStation’s dev portal is a mess to fill out. The submission form alone has more fields than Steam, Microsoft, and Apple combined. Get your paperwork ready before you even log in.

PlayStation certification regularly catches indie studios off guard. Their game is usually fine. They just didn't know the rules until it was too late.
5-10
weeks, feature-complete to live, with no resubmission
2x
PS4 and PS5 are certified separately, no shared pass
0
exceptions on PSN cloud save for persistent state
Instant
age rating turnaround for digital, through IARC

The TRC Isn’t Optional

Sony’s Technical Requirements Questionnaire is a checklist, not a suggestion list. Every item marked “must” is a blocker. “Should” is advisory, but ignoring those items will cost you another round of certification.

Always check the TRC version on the Sony Partner site. Sony updates it periodically, and old versions will lead you astray.

The most common blockers:

must

Controller support

Every PlayStation game needs it. Specific features depend on genre, a 2D platformer doesn't need the gyroscope. Check the TRC for your platform and genre.

must

System menus

The Settings menu and Share button must work. These aren't game features, they're platform expectations. Game Base is PS5-only.

must

Save data

Any persistent state must use PSN cloud save. No exceptions.

must

Age rating

Instant for digital releases through IARC, but required before submission. Sony won't process your certification without one.

must

Trophies

Required for all PlayStation releases, and notoriously fiddly in the portal, especially across languages. Each trophy needs its own title, description, and icon per region. Get assets and localized text ready early.

The Timeline

PS4 and PS5 are certified separately. Submitting for one does not cover the other. Each platform needs its own TRC compliance, submission, and approval. Budget time and effort for both if you’re targeting dual platforms.

Age rating
Instant (digital, via IARC) · physical adds 2-8 weeks
Book your submission date
Sony requires a scheduled slot, you can't submit whenever you're ready
TRC compliance pass
1-2 weeks of fixes
Sony certification review
2-3 weeks
Re-submission, if needed
another 2-3 weeks
That's 5 to 10 weeks from "we think we're ready" to "we're live." Start the TRC review after your game is feature-complete, and you're already behind.

What to Do Before You Even Build

  1. Download the TRC. Read it before you write a single line of code.
  2. Map your game to the TRC. Every feature your game has, save files, achievements, multiplayer, overlays, check it against the TRC. Note what’s required and what’s optional.
  3. Build a compliance checklist. Not a vague “make sure we’re good” list. A line-by-line checklist you can tick off as you go.
  4. Test early. Don’t wait until your game is “done” to test controller support, system menus, or save functionality. Test them in week two.

Certification Is a Design Constraint

Most studios treat it as a final step. It’s not. It should shape your build from day one.

A studio that designs with the TRC in mind ships on time. A studio that discovers the TRC after launch has a real problem.

Planning a PlayStation release? We’ve helped studios navigate this exact process. Reach out and we’ll walk you through what’s ahead.