Loyal PlayStation Stars members will get 'priority' customer support
Those who reach the loyalty program's highest tier will get preferential treatment, which has angered some PS5 owners
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: PlayStation Stars
👀 Sony has shared some more details on what to expect from its PlayStation Stars reward program
🏆 Members can earn loyalty points and digital collectibles, as well as select PlayStation Store products
🥇 Players have to work their way up from level 1 to level 4, with perks included depending on your level
💁♂️ Status level 4 members can expect “priority” customer support, allowing them to skip the queue should they have an issue with their PS4 or PS5
Sony has shared some key details regarding its PlayStation Stars loyalty program, which officially launched in Asia on September 28. However, one of them is rather controversial.
PlayStation Stars has four status levels that reflect the milestones you’ve reached. You can increase your status level by buying digital games and earning trophies, and you’ll be rewarded with loyalty points and digital collectibles.
Those who manage to reach level 4 — which is unlocked if you buy four full-price games and earn 128 rare PlayStation Trophies — will get a commemorative collectible but also “priority” when contacting PlayStation customer support.
As spotted by VGC, PlayStation Stars Level 4 members in Japan can skip the queue should they have an issue with their PS4 or PS5. That hasn’t gone down well with several Japanese PlayStation fans, as many have argued that good customer service should be offered as standard and not as a reward.
It isn’t right for Sony to give preferential treatment to a small subset of customers who buy and play more games than, say, a parent or a child who may have just started gaming and encountered a problem with their console.
It remains to be seen whether this “perk” will come to western PlayStation Stars members, but hopefully Sony can offer something more enticing and less controversial.
Thankfully, once you reach a status level in PlayStation Stars, you’ll remain at that tier for the calendar year plus an additional 13 months. That should make earning rewards less of a grind, but time will tell.
More PlayStation Stars details ⭐
In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony also shared that you can view the digital collectibles you earn on the PlayStation App by placing them in a display case. You can then share your display case with other users if you choose.
Members will receive the Star Gazer Telescope as the first digital collectible simply for joining PlayStation Stars, and you’ll be able to earn Punto the gondolier from Ape Escape 2, a PocketStation, Toro, and Kuto celebrating, and more in the future.
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Sony has reiterated that these digital collectibles are not NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and cannot be sold or traded.
You also don’t need to be a PlayStation Plus member to take advantage of PlayStation Stars, but it helps. You can earn points for digital purchases, including each subscription payment you make for your membership, an additional perks. PSN wallet top-ups will not earn any points, however.
When will PlayStation Stars launch in my country? 📅
PlayStation Stars is available in Asia, including Japan, today, September 29. PlayStation gamers in North and South America can enjoy the benefits of PlayStation Stars from October 5, while the loyalty program will come to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on October 13.