PlayStation Stars is the new loyalty program for players to earn rewards by completing certain tasks. Like the new PlayStation Plus tiers, the scheme is being rolled out gradually across all regions. While we had been told that the scheme would be launching in Asia in late September, it was still a bit of a surprise for it to suddenly launch today (now September 29 in those regions). The Americas and Europe will be able to join PlayStation Stars when it launches next month.
When does PlayStation Stars launch in the Americas, Europe, and Australia?
PlayStation Stars launches in North and South America on October 5 at an unspecified local time. Europe and Australia will join PlayStation Stars on October 13, also at an unspecified local time. Asia and Japan can access the scheme right now. When it becomes available in your region, you can join PlayStation Stars through the PlayStation App on iOS and Android, or through playstation.com. The program is not yet available directly on PS5 and PS4 consoles, although Sony has “plans to expand to console devices in the future.”
The loyalty program is free to join and does not require players to have a PS Plus membership of any kind, although doing so will bring additional benefits. By completing campaigns and activities, players can earn loyalty points and digital collectibles. One example of a campaign is the “Monthly Check-In” where all players have to do is play any game in that month, as well as the “Hit Play/1994” campaign revealed at State of Play. Others may ask for specific trophies or to be one of the first to get the Platinum Trophy in a “blockbuster” title in their region, and campaigns are updated “regularly”. PS Plus members will earn points for their PlayStation Store purchases too, including PS Plus subscription top-ups.
Loyalty points can be redeemed for rewards like PSN wallet funds, exclusive digital collectibles, and select PlayStation Store games. Meanwhile, digital collectibles can be shown off in the display case within the PlayStation App that can be viewed by others if you choose. Sony once again reiterated that the collectibles are not NFTs, are not one-of-a-kind, do not leverage blockchain technology, and can’t be resold or traded. Players will get the Star Gazer Telescope for joining. Others to be earned early into the program are Punto the gondolier from Ape Escape 2, PocketStation, and Toro and Kuro celebrating with a birthday cake.
Finally, players can earn status levels once they hit certain milestones with the number of non-common trophies earned for gameplay as well as full game purchases from the PlayStation Store. The higher a player’s status level, the more perks and benefits available. Status levels can be lost, but there will be plenty of time to make sure you keep hitting the requirements needed to keep them.
