PlayStation Store

Last updated

PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store.png
Developer Sony Interactive Entertainment
Type Online market
Launch dateNovember 11, 2006;17 years ago (2006-11-11) [1]
Platform(s)
Website store.playstation.com

PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital distribution service for users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via PlayStation Network.

Contents

The store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games, add-on content, playable demos, themes and game/movie trailers.

History

Following feedback from many PlayStation Network users, a redesigned version of PlayStation Store was launched on April 15, 2008, via a firmware update. [2] The new design was OS based rather than the previous Store's web based design enabling the Store to process information more quickly.

A minor update to the store was released during Sony's E3 2009 press conference. This update makes the top page rotate pictures (including their links) regularly, and changes the navigation sounds.

A major redesign of PlayStation Store was announced in September 2012, bringing with it a revised navigation structure and new search system. The new store has been developed to bring game and video content together and make it easier for users to find what they are looking for. Content will be integrated into each game's listing, rather than separate categories for items like add-ons, themes, and other downloadable content. The latest design is much less focused on text, and incorporates high-resolution artwork and smooth animations for featured content. The new redesign launched in Europe on October 22, 2012. [3] Shortly after it was launched in the United Kingdom, the Store interface was reverted to the old design due to issues such as long load times and slow navigation, while other countries in Europe retained the new interface despite these issues. The redesign was released in North America on November 2, 2012.

In May 2020, PlayStation Store has been indefinitely suspended in China due to security reasons. [4] On March 2, 2021, Sony announced that it would discontinue offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals through PlayStation Store on August 31, 2021. [5]

Later that month, Sony also announced that it would be closing down the storefronts for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita games in July and August 2021. Sony's decision to make many of its older games inaccessible for purchase drew criticism from many, with concerns highlighting the publisher's approach towards game preservation, as well as the limitations of digital-only media, and its potential anti-consumer implications. [6] [7] [8] Several small developers who had been producing titles for the PS Vita were not forewarned by Sony of PlayStation Store's closure, requiring some to crunch to meet the deadline, while others whose games would not be ready made the decision to cancel them. [9] [10] As a result of the negative feedback, Sony announced on April 19, 2021, that they had reversed their decision to close the PS3 and Vita stores, leaving these available for the foreseeable future, though the PSP store will still close as originally planned on July 2, 2021. [11] [12] The day prior to the planned closure of the PSP store, Sony altered their plans again, and instead chose to simply disable PlayStation Store app on the system, allowing PSP digital games to remain available for purchase on other systems. [13]

On March 9, 2022, PlayStation announced that it suspended operations of PlayStation Store in Russia in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [14]

Availability

PlayStation Store is available in 69 countries.

'*' = Country where PlayStation Network and Store are officially available, but the Store is in Global currency (USD/EUR), not in local currency.

Access and versions

The store is accessible through an icon on the XrossMediaBar on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, via the Dynamic Menu on the PlayStation 4, and an icon on the LiveArea on the PlayStation Vita. The service is also available online through the Sony Entertainment Network website.

A master account is required to access the PlayStation Store. A log of all previously purchased items, known as "Download List", records each PlayStation Store account's complete download activity. A guest user can use their master account's Download List to download free content or to purchase content on another console; however, a single account can only be used on up to two consoles. This was previously five, but as of November 2011, Sony reduced this to two. [15] The most recent firmware must be installed on the console to access the PlayStation Store. Each master account is associated with an online virtual "wallet" to which funds can be added. This wallet is then debited when a purchase is made from the store. Money can be added to the wallet through different systems of payment, although some of these are not available in all countries.

All purchases on the PlayStation Store are made in the user's local currency using a 'wallet' system whereby funds are added to the wallet—either in set denominations or an amount dictated by the price of the current transaction—then debited from the account's wallet when the user makes a purchase, funds added to the PS Store are non-refundable.

The user can add funds to their wallet in a number of ways, the most common of which is by credit or debit card. Users in many regions can also purchase PlayStation Network Cards [16] or Tickets in set denominations from retailers including supermarkets or video game stores. These funds are redeemed on the PlayStation Store when the user enters the unique 12-digit code found on the card into the PlayStation Store. [17] Nintendo themselves later adopted this currency system for their succeeding eShop. The Store's account, however, is region-locked and generally only accepts credit card that is billed in and PlayStation Network Cards purchased from the same country selected during the registration process, which cannot be changed afterwards.

PlayStation 3

PlayStation Store was launched within the PlayStation 3 on November 11, 2006. [1] There are four different versions of the store on the platform: Asia, Europe (including Oceania and the Middle East), Japan and North America (including South America).

PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Store was supported on PlayStation Portable starting by October 2008 with 5.00 firmware update. [18] The native PlayStation Store front on PSP was closed on March 31, 2016, while in-app purchases remained available after the store closed. [19] PS Store functionality on PSP was fully closed on July 2, 2021, except for the purchased items list which still allows to download previously purchased content or PSP content purchased from the PS3. [20] [12]

PlayStation Vita

PlayStation Store was launched on the PlayStation Vita on December 17, 2011, and is accessible via an icon on the LiveArea. [21] As of December 2016, all Vita games were also made available to be downloaded digitally on the PlayStation Network via the storefront, [22] although not all games are released physically. [23] There are four different versions of the PlayStation Store: Asia, Europe (including Oceania and the Middle East), Japan and North America. There is no Vita's PlayStation Store localization in China and South America.

PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4 version of the PlayStation Store was released on November 15, 2013, along with the console in North America, and on November 29 in most of Europe with the console two weeks following the North American launch. [24] The PS4 version of the PS Store uses the same overall design and interface to its predecessor, the PlayStation 3's storefront; however, the color scheme has been altered to match that of the console's theme, changing from black to blue.

Internet browser

In January 2013, the PlayStation Store was made available via Internet browser. [25] Users can purchase content for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable via the online store, then download it (or put it in a download queue) [26] via their respective devices. In October 2015, a "Wishlist" option was added. [27] On October 15, 2020, in anticipation of the launch of the PlayStation 5, Sony announced that users would no longer be able to browse, purchase and download PS3, PSP and PS Vita content, and PS4 avatars, themes and applications via the desktop and mobile versions of PlayStation Store. [28]

PlayStation 5

PlayStation 5 version of PlayStation Store was released on November 12, 2020, along with the console in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, and on November 19, 2020, in rest of the world (excluding China) with the console seven days following the North American and Japan launch. [29]

Prior to 2019, Sony had allowed third-party vendors such as Amazon and Wal-Mart to sell video game redemption codes for PlayStation Store. Sony removed this feature in April 2019, so third-party vendors can only sell virtual currency for PlayStation Store. [30] In May 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging that because Sony maintains a monopoly on PlayStation Store, the removal of third-party sales violated antitrust laws. [31] A second class-action lawsuit was filed the same month alleging that Sony's decision to eliminate third-party sales has led to overcharging consumers by billions of dollars. [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3</span> Sonys third home video game console, part of the seventh generation

The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australasia. The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Portable</span> Handheld game console by Sony

The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, and is the first handheld installment in the PlayStation line of consoles. As a seventh generation console, the PSP competed with the Nintendo DS.

Import gamers are a subset of the video game player community that take part in the practice of playing video games from another region, usually from Japan where the majority of games for certain systems originate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XrossMediaBar</span> Interface used on the PlayStation 3 and other Sony products

The XrossMediaBar is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons, instead of a cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user. When an icon is selected on the horizontal bar, several more appear vertically, above and below it. They, in turn, are selectable by the up and down directions on a directional pad.

PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions. It succeeded Sony Entertainment Network in 2015 and this service is the account for PlayStation consoles, accounts can store games and other content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote Play</span> Video game console remote control function

Remote Play is a feature of Sony video game consoles that allow the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 to transmit video and audio output to another device; previously this could only be a PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita. In 2014, it was expanded to include the use of PlayStation TV, Xperia smartphones and tablets, and PlayStation Now. In 2016, it was expanded to Microsoft Windows PCs and macOS. In 2019, support for Android and iOS devices was eventually added. Support for remote play of PlayStation 5 games to other devices was added in November 2020 just prior to the new console's launch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 3 system software</span> System software for the PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 system software is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 3. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both FreeBSD and NetBSD known internally as CellOS or GameOS. It uses XrossMediaBar as its graphical shell.

The PlayStation Portable system software is the official firmware for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It uses the XrossMediaBar (XMB) as its user interface, similar to the PlayStation 3 console.

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Vita</span> Handheld game console by Sony

The PlayStation Vita is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced until discontinuation on March 1, 2019. The console is the successor to the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and a part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices; as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles, it primarily competed with the Nintendo 3DS.

<i>LittleBigPlanet</i> Puzzle platform video game series

LittleBigPlanet is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series put a strong emphasis on user-generated content and are based on the series' tagline "Play, Create, Share". The tagline represents the three core elements of the series: playing alone or with others locally or online, creating new content using the in-game creation tools, and sharing creations and discoveries online with other players.

Sony has released a number of previously released PlayStation video games, remastered in high-definition (HD) for their newer consoles, a form of porting. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" and "PSP Remasters". The former consists of multiple PlayStation 2 games compiled on one Blu-ray Disc. The latter are individual PlayStation Portable games republished on Blu-ray. These games are not direct ports, but remastered versions in high-definition, to take advantage of the newer consoles' capabilities. The remastering of the games include updated graphics, new textures, and Trophy support, and some of the remastered games released on PlayStation 3 have included 3D and PlayStation Move support. Some HD remasters have also been released individually or in bundles as downloads on the PlayStation Store; others are released exclusively as downloads.

NEOGEO Station was a brand by M2 for downloadable Neo Geo games that were previously available to be purchased from the PlayStation Store for Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita (PSV) video game consoles in all regions. All games in this series have been de-listed from the PlayStation Store. This list does not include PlayStation games ported from Neo Geo that were released as PS One Classics.

The PlayStation Vita system software is the official firmware and operating system for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV video game consoles. It uses the LiveArea as its graphical shell. The system is built on a Unix-base which is derived from FreeBSD and NetBSD.

<i>Zen Pinball 2</i> 2012 video game

Zen Pinball 2 is a pinball video game developed by Zen Studios for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Android, and PlayStation Vita. The game was announced on April 9, 2012. The first PlayStation versions were released on September 4, 2012 in North America and September 5 in Europe while the Wii U version was released on March 21, 2013 in North America and January 31, 2013 in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 4 system software</span> System software for the PlayStation 4

The PlayStation 4 system software is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 4. The operating system is Orbis OS, based on FreeBSD 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation TV</span> Microconsole manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment

The PlayStation TV, known in Japan and other parts of Asia as the PlayStation Vita TV or PS Vita TV, is a microconsole, and a non-handheld variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld game console. It was released in Japan on November 14, 2013, and Europe and Australia on November 14, 2014.

Cross-buy is a feature of some digital distribution systems available across multiple device platforms, where users who purchase a license to a specific piece of software are able to use the versions of the software for different device classes at no additional charge.

References

  1. 1 2 "PS3 sells out at launch". BBC. November 11, 2006. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  2. ↑ Chen, Grace (April 14, 2008). "PlayStation.Blog » PlayStation Store Update". PlayStation Blog . Sony Computer Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
  3. ↑ Karmali, Luke (October 11, 2012). "Sony Unveils Redesigned PlayStation Store". ign.com . Ziff Davis, LLC . Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  4. ↑ Gera, Emily (May 10, 2020). "PlayStation Store has been suspended indefinitely in mainland China". VG247. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  5. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (March 2, 2021). "PlayStation Store Is Removing Ability To Rent And Buy TV Shows And Movies". GameSpot . Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  6. ↑ Zwiezen, Zack (March 23, 2021). "So-Called Pirates Are Doing The Work When Publishers Fail To Preserve Their Games". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  7. ↑ Byrd, Matthew (March 29, 2021). "Why PlayStation Store Closing on PS3 Should Matter to You". Den of Geek. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ Donaldson, Alex (March 30, 2021). "With the PS3 generation, digital store shutdowns manifest their most damaging form yet". VG247. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ Yaden, Joseph (April 6, 2021). "Sony's disregard for game preservation is bad for everybody, including developers". GamesRadar+. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Tom (March 31, 2021). "PlayStation Vita project cancelled in wake of store shutdown confirmation". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  11. ↑ Ryan, Jim (April 19, 2021). "PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita Will Continue Operations". PlayStation Blog . Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Good, Owen (April 19, 2021). "PlayStation Store for PS3, PS Vita will not shut down, Sony announces". Polygon . Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  13. ↑ Gach, Ethan (July 1, 2021). "Sony Will Keep Selling PSP Games After All". Kotaku . Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  14. ↑ Gach, Ethan (March 9, 2022). "Sony Halts PlayStation Sales In Russia Due To Ukraine Invasion". Kotaku. G/O Media. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  15. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 18, 2011). "Reduced PlayStation game sharing policy comes into effect". Eurogamer.net . Gamer Network. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  16. ↑ "PlayStation Network Cards". PlayStation . Sony Computer Entertainment. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  17. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (June 7, 2008). "PS Store Cards *Finally* Heading To Retai l". kotaku.com . Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  18. ↑ Chen, Grace (October 14, 2008). "Firmware 5.0 Demo: PlayStation Store on PSP". PlayStation Blog . Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Archived from the original on April 6, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ "PSP Store closing down, content will still be available elsewhere". VG247 . March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Important notice (US)". www.playstation.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ Colin Moriarty (September 14, 2011). "TGS: Sony Reveals Vita's Release Date". IGN.
  22. ↑ Schreier, Jason. "Vita Games Will All Be Downloadable, Sony Confirms". Wired. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  23. ↑ Williams, Mike (January 13, 2014). "PlayStation Vita Could Shift Towards Digital-Only". Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  24. ↑ O'Brien, Terrence (August 20, 2013). "PlayStation 4 hitting shelves on November 15th in the US for $399, November 29th in Europe". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  25. ↑ Chen, Grace (June 24, 2013). "Introducing the New Sony Entertainment Network Online Store". PlayStation.Blog . Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  26. ↑ Yoon, Andrew (April 25, 2013). "PlayStation Store now supports download queue via web browser". Shack News . Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  27. ↑ Hussain, Tamoor (October 23, 2015). "PlayStation Store Has a New Wishlist Feature". GameSpot . CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  28. ↑ "PS3 games are being taken off the mobile and desktop PlayStation Store, Sony confirms". October 15, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  29. ↑ Diaz, Justin (October 15, 2020). "Why Sony's PS5 UI Is A Masterclass In Design". Android Headlines. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  30. ↑ Nick Statt (March 25, 2019). "Sony confirms it will stop letting GameStop and other retailers sell PS4 download codes". The Verge.
  31. ↑ Burnson, Robert (May 6, 2021). "Sony Sued for Limiting Purchases of Games to PlayStation Store". Bloomberg News . Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  32. ↑ Gurwin, Gabe (May 13, 2021). "Another Lawsuit Accuses Sony Of Overcharging PlayStation Customers For Games". GameSpot . Retrieved May 13, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.