Yes, There is a Way to Get DriveClub on PS5: Here’s How

DriveClub is a cult classic racing game that was released on the PlayStation 4 in 2014. And although the game was removed from the PlayStation Store in 2020, the game still has a surprisingly strong community of players to this day. So, is it possible to play this game on the PlayStation 5?

You can play DriveClub on a PS5 either by using a physical copy of the game, or by using a PSN account that owns the game digitally. DriveClub is not optimized for PS5, so the game will still run at the PS4 standard 30 fps at 1080p, though it will have much better load times.

So, if you’re looking to play DriveClub on your PS5, all hope is not lost. Let’s take a closer look at how to access DriveClub on PS5, how it performs on the console, why it was taken off the PSN Store, and how you can get your hands on a copy of this classic.

Is DriveClub Available on PS5?

DriveClub was a PlayStation 4 exclusive game, and the PlayStation 5 (on Amazon) is backwards compatible with all PS4 games. This line of thinking will lead many people to the logical conclusion that you can purchase and play DriveClub on a PS5.

However, there’s one main problem: DriveClub has been delisted from the Playstation Store.

Thankfully, there are a couple of workarounds to this that we’ll describe in more depth later on. So, it is in fact possible to play DriveClub on the Playstation 5.

However, since the game was removed from sale before the PlayStation 5 was released, DriveClub is not optimized for play on the PS5.

When it runs on a PS5, DriveClub has no 1440p resolution support; instead, the game runs at the PS4’s traditional 1080p. Another big issue is that when playing games on a PS5, most gamers get used to games running at 60fps. Even when running on the PS5, DriveClub runs at a steady 30fps.

This is because the developers set a maximum framerate limit at 30fps to make performance more consistent on the PS4. The one benefit you get from playing DriveClub on a PS5 is much faster load times, which is a significant improvement to the PS4 version.

Why Isn’t DriveClub Available for Purchase?

As we mentioned previously, DriveClub is unfortunately no longer available for purchase on the PlayStation Store. No specific reason has been given from the DriveClub developers or Sony themselves. However, there are a couple of prevailing theories on the matter.

The most common theories suggest that the game was pulled from the PlayStation Store due to its licenses expiring. Many songs on the DriveClub soundtrack are licensed songs, and once these licenses expire, the game can’t be sold anymore.

Another theory is that the game’s car licenses expired. DriveClub was a racing game that used real world cars and car brands in order to create an impressive lineup of cars you can race with. Once these licenses expire, the developers either need to negotiate for an extension, or remove the game from sale.

So, why didn’t the DriveClub developers attempt to extend their licenses? The answer to this is simple: Their studio had been shut down. The team behind DriveClub — Evolution Studios — was shut down in 2016, just 2 years after DriveClub’s release. Thus, there was really no reason to continue to negotiate license extensions.

Is There a Way to Play DriveClub on PS5?

It may be difficult for some people to play DriveClub on a PS5 since it was removed from the PlayStation Store. However, as we said before, there are actually a couple of workarounds you can use to play DriveClub on a PlayStation 5.

The first method is the simplest. Even though you can no longer buy digital copies of DriveClub, the game actually had an official physical release. This means that all you have to do to play the game is get your hands on a physical copy.

Surprisingly, these physical copies aren’t exactly hard to find. As of the time of writing this article, they’re even in stock on Amazon. There are also reports of copies being found at stores like GameStop and Best Buy, so if you’re on the hunt, check anywhere that sells used PS4 games.

While you can play the game with a physical copy, there are certain features you won’t be able to take advantage of.

The servers for DriveClub have been taken down, so any online features will be inaccessible. This also includes any downloadable content (DLC) the game had. If you would like to use this DLC, it’s going to be a little more complicated.

In order to access the DLC, you’re going to need to buy a PSN account that owns it. Even though you can’t buy content that has been removed from sale on the PlayStation Store, you can still re-download it if you have an account that already owns it.

There are a couple of PSN accounts that own digital copies of the game as well as the DLC for sale on both Google and eBay. In order to buy these, you typically need to get in contact with the seller personally.