PlayStation Stars members divided after seeing how to get “free” PS5 games
Bandai NamcoSomeone crunched the numbers and discovered how much money PlayStation Stars subscribers need to spend to unlock one free PS5 game. The response from fans seems mixed, thus far.
Sony’s all-new PlayStation Stars loyalty program is now live in Asia and the Americas. Players in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand can join the fun in the coming days on October 13.
All users can enter the program for free, then earn Trophies and purchase games through PSN to level up across five different tiers.
Accruing points unlocks digital extras and enough points will eventually allow members to access a free game. Some players have found, however, that unlocking one full-priced title requires a lot of spending on the PS Store.
Earning a free game through PlayStation Stars is pretty costly
Upon joining the rewards program, Twitter user Crusader pre-ordered a digital copy of God of War Ragnarok for PS5. Priced at $74.20 including tax, the purchase earned the player a total of 742 points.
Simple math led Crusader to the conclusion that PlayStation Stars awards 10 points for every dollar spent.
As Tweaktown noted, members can presently choose from five games to unlock with reward points, one being The Quarry priced at $69.99 or 17,500 points.
To unlock Supermassive’s latest slasher adventure, then, PS Stars subscribers will need to spend approximately $1,750 on PSN – the equivalent of 24 games.
Again, it’s worth noting that points can be earned by earning Trophies in-game. Completing campaigns also rewards users with an instant 50 points.
So accessing a free game through PlayStation Stars may not always be costly, especially since some titles come in at a lower price. For instance, Hades ($24.99) is also on the list of unlocks at this time and only asks for 6,250 points.
Fans seem pretty mixed on the revelation, thus far. Some Twitter users think unlocking one game after buying 24 is “better than getting nothing,” especially since this “4% reward” is better than the 1% attached to other loyalty memberships.
Other users can’t help but gawk at those who have come to PlayStation Stars’ defense on the matter. The fact that the cost of a game through rewards doesn’t reflect sales prices – like with The Quarry’s present $40 price tag – has caused a bit of confusion, as well.
Akin to PlayStation Stars’ controversial customer support perk, the free game unlocks have somewhat divided the community.